Liberia Youth and Workforce Development Assessment

Desk Review for USAID/Liberia Liberia Youth and Workforce Development Assessment

5 September 2017

This document was produced at the request of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It was prepared by Ms. Paige Mason with the support of Ms. Katya Fink for the USAID Liberia Strategic Analysis project under contract AID-669-C-16-00002.

DISCLAIMER The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents ...... 1 Acronyms...... 3 LIST OF TABLES & FIGURES ...... 5 I. Executive summary...... 6 Purpose and Questions ...... 6 Methods ...... 6 Key Findings ...... 6 Recommendations ...... 10 II. Introduction ...... 12 Background ...... 12 Objective of this Study ...... 13 III. Desk Review Approach ...... 13 Research Questions ...... 13 Methodology ...... 14 IV. Desk Review Findings ...... 14 Question 1 ...... 14 Question 2 ...... 19 Literacy and Numeracy Skills ...... 19 Capacity and Impact of Civil Society Organizations Focused on Youth, particularly Local Youth Groups ...... 20 Crime, Drug Use, and Prostitution ...... 21 HIV/AIDS and At-Risk Youth ...... 22 Accreditation, Vocational Training and Training Institutions ...... 23 Private Sector Employment and Economic Trends ...... 24 Village Savings, Loan Associations, and Access to Credit ...... 26 Access to Technology...... 27 Media ...... 27 Micro-Finance Opportunities ...... 28 Challenges and Opportunities for Civic Engagement ...... 28 Question 3 ...... 29 Question 4 ...... 30 Question 5 ...... 37

Question 6 ...... 39 Question 7 ...... 41 V. Recommendations ...... 42 Annex I – Statement of Work ...... 44 Annex II – Annotated Bibliography ...... 47

ACRONYMS ABE Alternative Basic Education AFDB African Development Bank AYP Advancing Youth Project CDCS Country Development Cooperation Strategy CSO Civil Society Organization DEC Development Exchange Clearinghouse DFID Department for International Development EVD Ebola Virus Disease FDGs Focus Group Discussions FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FLY Federation of Liberian Youth GDP Gross Domestic Product GOAL Girls’ Opportunities to Access Learning GOL Government of Liberia HICD Human and Institutional Capacity Development HIES Household Income and Expenditure Survey HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome HRPS Human Rights and Protection Service IIC Independent Information Commissioner ICT Information Communications Technology KII Key Informant Interview LADA Liberia Agribusiness Development Activity LAVI Liberia Accountability and Voice Initiative LGSA Land Governance Support Activity LIEC Liberia International Election Observation LMD Liberia Media Development Program LDHS Liberia Health and Demographic Survey LPAC Legal Professional Development and Anti-Corruption Program LYSMPS Liberia Youth Services Mapping and Profiling Study MCSP Maternal and Child Survival Program MFDP Ministry of Finance and Development Planning MOA Ministry of Agriculture

MOE Ministry of Education MOGD Ministry of Gender and Development MOYS Ministry of Youth and Sports ODA Official Development Assistance OECD Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development PACS Partnership for Advancing Community PYPP Presidents Young Professional Program SGBV Sexual and Gender Based Violence STI Sexually Transmitted Infection TVET Technical and Vocational Training UN United Nations UNAIDS United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS UNDP United Nations Development Program UNFPA United Nations Family Planning Agency UNICEF United Nations Children Fund USAID United States Agency for International Development VSLA Village Savings and Loans Association WB World Bank

LIST OF TABLES & FIGURES Table 1: Existing Assessments, Reports, and Surveys Post-EVD...... 14 Table 2: School Attendance Among Youth ...... 17 Table 3: TVET Institutions and Programs ...... 24 Table 4: Labor Market Needs ...... 25 Table 5: Examples of Activity Implementation Strategies for Youth Benefit...... 34 Table 6: Income Generating Activities before and after EVD ...... 40

Figure 1: Distribution of Liberian Youth by Region ...... 17 Figure 2: Value Chain Opportunities by County ...... 18 Figure 3: Literacy Rates by County ...... 19 Figure 4: HIV Prevalence by Key Population Group ...... 23 Figure 5: Loan Use Among Youth In The AYP VSLAs (n = 450) ...... 26 Figure 6: Current USAID DRG Activities by County ...... 31 Figure 7: Current USAID Education Activities by County ...... 31 Figure 8: Current USAID Economic Growth Activities by County ...... 32 Figure 9: Current USAID Health Activities by County ...... 33 Figure 10: Labor force participation rate by sex ...... 39

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY For several years, the Government of Liberia (GOL) and its development partners have understood the critical role that youth play in Liberia’s development. With 79% of the population below the age of 36 and an economy recovering from decades of civil war and outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), the government and donors must develop strategies and programs to engage youth in economic activities and contribute to the country’s stability and growth. PURPOSE AND QUESTIONS The USAID/Liberia Mission is currently preparing its five-year Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) for 2019-2023. In preparation for the new strategy, the Mission will conduct a youth assessment to guide future programming decisions. The objective of this desk review is to identify existing youth assessments and other studies pertaining to youth in Liberia so that the subsequent USAID/Liberia youth assessment is more tailored and fully informs USAID’s decision making without duplicating existing research. The desk review provides an overview of the information available, key findings to consider in designing the future youth assessment, and recommendations for the future assessment and programming efforts. The high-level questions addressed through the desk review are: 1. What relevant existing assessments, reports, and data exist on youth and workforce development in Liberia since 2014 (post-EVD outbreak)? 2. What information exists on key topics related to youth in Liberia (such as literacy, HIV/AIDS, media)? 3. What, if any, gaps exist in the information available about youth and workforce development in Liberia that should be addressed by the Youth cross-sector working group when designing the youth assessment? 4. A mapping of existing and planned USAID activities by sector. 5. How can we map actors, programs, and services available to youth to avoid duplication of effort and increase USAID’s impact? 6. What are the gender dynamics in the youth population and how does this impact programming? METHODS The desk review was completed using sources from the USAID/Liberia Knowledge Portal, the USAID Development Experience Clearinghouse (DEC), World Bank (WB) data, studies undertaken by other donors (UN, AfDB, and DFID), academic studies, and, to a limited extent, newspaper articles. The study focuses primarily on documents published post-2014 to capture the current situation of youth after EVD to the extent possible. However, many of these reports utilize data from 2010 or earlier (the most recent data available), and few of the studies are nationally representative. KEY FINDINGS What relevant existing assessments, reports, and data exist on youth and workforce development in Liberia since 2014 (post-EVD outbreak)? There is limited data available post-2014; however, the data available does provide some insights into where youth are within the country and the opportunities available to them. The majority (55%) of youth live in urban areas, with 38.5% of the youth population living in Monrovia. There are significant numbers of out-of-school youth (particularly female rural youth with rates as high as 74.9%).1 Out-of-school youth have limited access to Alternative Basic Education (ABE) programs and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

1 “Report on the Liberia Labor Force Survey 2010.” Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS). February 2011. 6

What information exists on key topics related to youth in Liberia? Significantly more males (62.4%) are able to read and write than females (32.8%),2 with literacy rates being the lowest among rural female youth. The desk review revealed that the education system is weak and/or inaccessible, with quality of education being particularly problematic. Youth-focused civil society organizations (CSOs) are active, but underfunded and limited in their capacity to provide trainings and services to their members. CSOs in the capital tend to be heavily reliant on donor funding, and those in rural areas face issues with resource constraints, lack of skilled staff, limited access to information, and programming capacity. The most active, the Federation of Liberian Youths (FLY), coordinates with the government and advocates for youth participation in civil society. Youth frequently express frustration with government, and feel that they don’t have a voice in decision-making. Youth have been active in the 2017 election cycle, though, by facilitating voter education activities. Sexual violence continues to be a serious issue in Liberia as the second most-reported serious crime in the country. However, crimes frequently go unreported, so actual rates of violence may be higher. Alcohol use is common among youth (both in- and out-of-school) as a coping mechanism for social anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Use of drugs, especially cannabis, is rising among youth; however, there are no current statistics for prevalence in Liberia. There are also cocaine and heroin users in Liberia, and use of these drugs are linked to higher levels of criminality and violence.3 Rates of transactional sex are also high among Liberian youth, with 71% of sexually active female youth reporting that they had received money or a gift for sex.4 This places youth at particularly high risk of HIV/AIDS infection. The health system remains woefully under-equipped for meeting the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS, especially after the EVD outbreak. TVET is seen as one of the primary methods for preparation youth to undertake employment and self- employment; however, the curriculum offered for TVET is often not responsive to the demands of the labor market, resulting in a mismatch between skills gained by Liberian youth and skills that employers find desirable. Employers also note the importance of soft skills, including honesty, discipline, and good character.5 Access to credit has been a major barrier for youth entrepreneurship. There are limited Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) available, and they are mostly utilized by women. The EVD outbreak, though, halted the activities of many VSLAs, and this credit mechanism is still recovering. There is little data available on post-EVD access to technology. As of 2010, only 7% of the population had some form of Internet access, and most technology users are male.6 Most students don’t have any exposure to computers until after they graduate from high school. Mobile phone use is widely prevalent, and rural users especially use them to feel more connected to the rest of the world. The most common use of media among Liberians is radio, but media is changing rapidly as mobile Internet becomes more prevalent. The most common social media platform is Facebook. What, if any, gaps exist in the information available about youth and workforce development in Liberia that should be addressed by the Youth Cross-Sector Working Group when designing the youth assessment?

2 "The World Factbook: LIBERIA." Central Intelligence Agency. June 21, 2017. 3 US Department of State “International Narcotics Strategy Report” 2014 4 National AIDS Commission “National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan 2015-2020”, 2014. 5 “Advancing Youth Project. Labor Market – Liberia.” Education Development Center, 2012. 6 World Bank/ITU (2010) “The Little Data Book on Information and Communication Technology.” Washington DC: World Bank. 7

The author has identified three priority areas that should be addressed by the Youth Cross-Sector Working group: • Employer and market needs - The desk review suggests that workforce preferences and training programs are not aligned to the needs of employers, and a detailed study focused on the “demand” side of the labor force would provide valuable insights for future programming. The Advancing Youth Project undertook a survey of 656 businesses and potential employers in 2012, through which they asked questions regarding employers’ perceptions of youth in terms of their reliability, agreeableness, skills, knowledge, and work ethic. In future studies, it would be useful to probe further employers’ perceptions of youth (e.g. youth are lazy) and why these perceptions exist through qualitative methods so that USAID can better understand how to overcome these perceptions. Furthermore, it is critical that this assessment of market needs include the informal economy, in that it would shed light on what market needs exist that might be filled with providers in the informal economy. • Media use outside of Monrovia - The studies done on media and technology use are largely focused on greater Monrovia, and also don’t account for the rapid rise of mobile Internet. Though radio will likely continue to be the primary media outlet for Liberian youth, USAID may want to explore how the spread of mobile Internet and rural connectivity may enhance programming. • Youth attitudes toward agriculture - The average age of farmers in Liberia is 55 years old; with a life expectancy of 65-70 years, Liberia will be hard pressed to meet the food production needs to support the population in 10-15 years without new farmers entering the industry.7 There are few surveys or studies done of rural youth, so it is critical that USAID gather information on their perspective, including their incentives for leaving rural areas in favor of urban centers. A mapping of existing and planned USAID activities by sector The Advancing Youth Project (AYP) has been the primary vehicle for youth-related programming since 2011 (ended June 2017), and though other activities work on issues of concern for youth, few of them address youth directly, or have indicators to measure youth-related outcomes. It is likely that many of these activities are involving youth to a greater extent than is reflected in the reports; recommendations for how this can be explored further are included in the final section of this report. With these institutional strengthening interventions, there has been seemingly low purposeful engagement with youth, as youth are rarely in decision-making positions, nor do they feel their views and voices are represented in government or community leadership. Though these activities may not target youth specifically, they do have the potential to benefit youth as users of services provided by institutions. Project or Activity monitoring systems rarely have mechanisms to capture unintended outcomes, and this is true of USAID/Liberia programming. Therefore, there is little recorded evidence of unintended benefits to the youth population; however, given their vulnerability and the critical role they play in Liberia’s growth prospects, the author encourages USAID to explore ways in which to capture unintended outcomes in future programming (see Recommendations). How can we map actors, programs, and services available to youth to avoid duplication of effort and increase USAID’s impact? The desk review focused largely on the donor landscape in Liberia, as the majority of interventions related to youth are led/funded by donors, or donors play a major role in supporting activities. Most interventions have the GOL, and its ministries, as key stakeholders, and seek to align interventions with GOL policies

7 Concept Paper for Youth in Agriculture - Ministry of Agriculture/WAAPP. USAID/Liberia. 8 and priorities. The desk review found that the most active donors beyond USAID in addressing issues affecting youth are: • UNDP • UNICEF • UNFPA • World Bank (particularly, Youth Opportunity Project) • African Development Bank (particularly, Liberia Youth Entrepreneurship and Local Economic Development for Youth Employment projects) • DFID As part of the next youth assessment, the author recommends that USAID set up interviews with representatives from the above-listed organizations (preferably an individual working on youth programming) to understand what areas of youth engagement and development the donors will be working on, in which counties, and for how long, as well as guidance on which documents to consult to increase USAID’s understanding of other donors’ activities in the area. As with any intervention, implementers must leverage existing relationships in order to build upon previous work. The AYP worked most closely with the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS). Outside of government, AYP also worked closely with the Global Development Alliance, educational institutions such as Grand Bassa Community Collect and Liberia Opportunities Industrial Center, as well as private sector employers ArcelorMittal, Hummingbird Resource, and APM Terminals. What are the gender dynamics in the youth population and how does this impact programming? Though efforts have been made to decrease the gender gap between male and female youth in Liberia, and have been largely successful in the area of primary school enrollment, gender inequality is a persistent issue which places young women at a particular disadvantage, especially when it comes to overcoming social and cultural norms around gender. From a young age, children are exposed to rigid gender roles and perceptions that women are subordinate and men are superior. Indeed, the secondary school completion rate among Liberian girls is 9% (half the completion rate for boys), partially attributable to sexual violence and the burdens on unwanted pregnancy, as well as pressure to bring in income to the household.8 Because of the division of labor at home, young women are less able to hold full-time employment, and many end up in the informal sector or in unpaid care work. A study conducted by Oxfam found that women tend to be employed in more vulnerable forms of employment, while men are more likely to have skilled work or formal employment.9 Programs focused on increasing employable knowledge and skills among female youth must take into consideration the constraints they face in economic participation. Many female youth become mothers at an early age, and face tremendous pressure to devote themselves to caregiving and domestic responsibilities after primary school. The rhetoric around youth employment is often laced with the notion that unemployed youth increase the risk of de-stabilization and violence. Former combatants (predominantly male youth) are rarely able to secure employment in the formal sector, and have often turned to drugs, both as a source of income and as a coping mechanism. Though there were programs focused on reintegration of formal combatants

8 John, Monique, Laura Golakeh, and Hajer Naili. "In Liberia, Girls and Women Face a Future Without U.N. Peacekeepers." Women's eNews. August 26, 2016. 9 Korkoyah, Dala T., Jr., and Francis F. Wreh. "Ebola Impact Revealed: An Assessment of the Differing Impact of the Outbreak on Women and Men in Liberia." July 2015.

9 into society, many of these programs simply raised expectations which then went unmet when the skills youth had gained were not employable in Liberia’s economy.

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. USAID’s assessment should prioritize the “demand” side of the labor market to better understand what employers are looking for and what needs could be filled through the informal economy, and thereby which skills TVET and ABE curricula should focus on.

2. USAID should seek to better understand the private sector’s perspective, contributions to employment, and the barriers or challenges they have encountered in hiring youth.

3. For urban youth, explore the needs and preferences of the elite consumers to better understand what services and goods present attractive and marketable opportunities for employment.

4. For rural youth, use the upcoming assessment as an opportunity to better understand rural youth perspectives, particularly as they relate to agriculture as a pathway for income generation.

5. Assess the current use of media to update existing studies, especially to understand the prevalence and accessibility of mobile Internet services among youth.

7. Depending on the timing of the upcoming youth assessment, USAID could integrate questions regarding the voting and civic engagement behavior among youth, as well as the factors that influenced their decision-making for the election.

8. Involve youth throughout the assessment process as community researchers and enumerators, and give youth an opportunity to review and reflect on the results, as well as provide their ideas for programming during project design.

9. Interview donors working in Liberia to understand their plans or strategies related to youth engagement and programming. Priority donors include UNDP, UNICEF, WB, AfDB, and DFID.

10. Expand Alternative Basic Education programs (in partnership with the Ministry of Education, where they are involved) and accompanying VSLAs, especially in rural areas. These programs can also be accompanied by agricultural skill-building so that youth are more equipped to take on agricultural roles and see it as a viable path to income generation.

11. Facilitate partnerships between private sector employers and TVET or ABE institutions to increase effectiveness of training programs, present on-the-job training opportunities, and generate more direct links between skills gained through education and existing job opportunities.

12. In addition to employable skill building, ABE and TVET programs should incorporate education on sexual and reproductive health.

13. Continue to address quality of education in the formal education system.

14. Use qualitative monitoring techniques (such as Most Significant Change and Outcome Mapping) to capture unintended outcomes of programming on the youth population.

II. INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND For several years, the Government of Liberia (GOL) and its development partners have understood the critical role that youth10 play in Liberia’s development. The Liberian Civil Wars, which took place between 1989 and 2003, left in its wake a ‘lost generation’ of young people with limited opportunities for basic education, vocational training, and employment. Liberia was then faced with the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in 2014-2015, which further compromised government and development efforts to engage youth in growing the economy. According to the 2008 census, 79% of the total population were below the age of 36, with 33% in the 15- 34 (inclusive) age range11; however, opportunities for employment are tenuous and leave the vast majority of youths vulnerable.12 The 2014 Household Income and Expenditure Survey notes that 74.2% of employed Liberians are in vulnerable employment, and 67.9% are in informal employment – these figures are a strong indication of the fragility of the labor market.13 The 2016 Human Development Index ranks Liberia 177 out of 188 countries, with 68.6% of the population living below the income poverty line, and per capita GDP at $456 (compared to $1,589 for sub-Saharan Africa as a whole).14 The effects of EVD on these statistics have not yet been systematically measured, and few studies or surveys exist that have up-to-date data on the status of youth and employment post-2014. There is, however, strong commitment across the GOL and development community to effectively and proactively engage youth in Liberia’s growth, and youth programming is a priority item for the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS). Liberia receives funding from several donors to expand their efforts to engage and empower youth, including the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the African Development Bank (AfDB). The government of Liberia passed the Liberia Youth Act for 2012-2017 which described “youth” as a culturally and socially constructed term, which for Liberia represents individuals between the ages of 15- 35. Its goal is to promote youth participation in the national decision-making process and to provide an appropriate framework for protecting young men and women’s health, social, economic, and political well- being. It specifically targets a number of key youth groups, including: • Out-of-school youth • In-school adolescents and youth • Unemployed and under-employed youth • Youth with disabilities • Youth engaged in crime and delinquency • Female youth • Rural youth • Youth affected by HIV/AIDS • Youth affected by armed conflict

10 “Youth” here refers to individuals aged 15-35. 11 “Report on the Liberia Labor Force Survey 2010.” Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS). February 2011. 12 “Vulnerable” here characterizes workers who are less likely to have formal work arrangements, and therefore are less likely to have decent working conditions, stability, or employment benefits. 13 “Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2014. Statistical Abstract.” Liberia Institute of Statistics & Geo-Information Services. March 2016. 14 "Human Development Report Liberia." Human Development Report Liberia Country Indicators. 12

• Illiterate youth • Youth involved in commercial motorcycling There is little information available online regarding the status of its implementation, or key indicators to track progress against the goals laid out in the policy. When it was released, though, it identified several strategies for improving development outcomes for youth, including a focus on: education and training; employment and empowerment; sexual and reproductive health; justice and governance; youth and agriculture; youth in peace building; youth and environment; addressing drug and alcohol abuse; sports for development and recreation; and ICT.

OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY The objective of the desk review is to identify existing youth assessments and other studies pertaining to youth in Liberia so that the subsequent USAID/Liberia youth assessment is more tailored and fully informs USAID’s decision making without duplicating existing research. The desk review identifies information gaps relevant to the design of the next youth activity, which will then form the basis of the youth assessment. Below, we present findings, information gaps, recommendations, infographics, and maps for the Youth Assessment.

III. DESK REVIEW APPROACH RESEARCH QUESTIONS The desk review intends to address the following questions: 1. What relevant existing assessments, reports, and data exist on youth and workforce development in Liberia since 2014 (post-EVD outbreak)? a. What do these studies tell us about who the youth are and where they are located? b. What opportunities are available and needed for out of school youth in the 15-35 age range? c. Is there any information available on labor market opportunities available to youth? 2. What information exists on the following topics? a. Literacy and numeracy skills b. Capacity and impact of civil society organizations focused on youth, particularly local youth groups c. Crime, drug use and prostitution d. HIV/AIDS and at-risk youth e. Accreditation, vocational training, and training institutions f. Private sector employment and economic trends g. Village savings and loan associations and access to credit h. Access to technology i. What media is most effective in reaching youth j. Micro-finance opportunities k. Challenges and opportunities for civic engagement 3. What, if any, gaps exist in the information available about youth and workforce development in Liberia that should be addressed by the Youth cross-sector working group when designing the youth assessment? 4. A mapping of existing and planned USAID activities by sector: a. What activities could be adapted or applied to benefit youth or sub-populations of youth? b. How have our activities benefitted youth or could they be adapted to do so?

c. Have there been any unintended benefits to youth or sub-populations of youth? 5. How can we map actors, programs, and services available to youth to avoid duplication of effort and increase USAID’s impact? 6. What are the gender dynamics in the youth population and how do we design an activity that captures these dynamics? 7. How do gender differences impact access and impact of youth programming?

METHODOLOGY This report is based on a desk review of the data contained in Annex 2, complemented by other sources compiled by the author. The desk review collected, organized, reviewed and synthesized the available information across 83 documents and datasets related to youth and employment in Liberia, with greater emphasis on documents published post-2014. In writing the findings from the desk review, the author aims to provide an overview of the information available and key information to consider in designing the future youth assessment. The findings contain numerous references where the topics can be explored in greater depth. The aim is not to summarize all the information on each of the topics, but rather to draw out the most important and up-to-date information for USAID’s consideration and identify areas that need further exploration. There are, however, some limitations to consider when reviewing this report. First, though most reports were published after 2012, the vast majority of desk review documents utilize data from 2010 or earlier, with a few referencing surveys conducted between 2010-2014. There is very limited nationally representative data available post-2014, and these gaps will be explored further in the response to research question 3. As much as possible, the desk review relies on reports published after 2012 to ensure that the findings present a more accurate representation of life in Liberia for youth.

IV. DESK REVIEW FINDINGS QUESTION 1 What relevant existing assessments, reports, and data exist on youth and workforce development in Liberia since 2014 (post-EVD outbreak)? a. What do these studies tell us about who the youth are and where they are located? b. What opportunities are available and needed for out of school youth in the 15-35 age range? c. Is there any information available on labor market opportunities available to youth? As previously mentioned, there is limited data available that capture the situation of Liberian youth post- EVD. The table below summarizes the existing assessments, reports, and surveys that have been published making use of data collected after the EVD outbreak:

Table 1: Existing Assessments, Reports, and Surveys Post-EVD

Title Summary

Liberia Youth Services Mapping This study observed Liberian youths’ experience in education, and Profiling Study (LYSMPS) employment, civic engagement, and health, and presented recommendations for how to target resources to achieve greatest impact in each of these areas. The findings and recommendations

Title Summary rely upon a household survey, focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs) conducted November-December 2015.

An Initial Assessment of Data and This study identified available information on the demand for and Information Sources for Technical supply of TVET. The authors conducted a literature review, FGDs, and Vocational Education and KIIs, observations, and site visits in Monrovia, but were unable to Training (TVET) in Liberia travel outside of the capital city for primary data collection. The study was published in July 2016.

UNDP Human Development The human development report, published every year, provides Report 2016 data on country demographics, youth employment, education (including out-of-school youth), and HIV prevalence, among many other measures.

Liberia Development Conference The Liberia Development Conference took place in February 2017 with the aim to disseminate information about the key problems and potential solutions to Liberia’s complex development challenges. Sessions included panels and presentations on youth, private sector competitiveness, gender equality, and education, among others.

Combining Mentoring Programs This report presents findings from the baseline assessment of the with Cash Transfers for Girl Empower program in Nimba County. Adolescent Girls in Liberia

Reducing Crime and Violence: The researchers for this report recruited criminally-engaged men Experimental Evidence from to participate in a study comparing crime-reducing strategies in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in cognitive behavioral therapy to cash support. Liberia

President’s Young Professionals This report detailed a 2016 evaluation conducted of the Program of Liberia – Evaluation President’s Young Professionals Program of Liberia (PYPP). The Report PYPP program, which recruited talented university graduates into civil service jobs. The evaluation found that the PYPP program had been successful in recruiting individuals that had made tangible contributions to the ministries that they served in, and had encouraged them to consider public service when they otherwise would not have. The study used regression analysis to identify critical success factors for PYPP that the program could consider for future classes. The study revealed that many PYPP participants needed further training in computer and writing skills, and provided recommendations to promote the sustainability and strength of the program and application process.

Title Summary

Ministry of Gender (MOGD) This plan outlines the GoL’s commitment to promoting gender Strategic Plan equality, providing an overall context for mainstreaming a gender perspective into the national development agenda.

Ministry of Finance and The MFDP strategic plan outline’s the steps the GoL plans to take Development Planning (MFDP) in order to decrease dependency on natural resources and foreign Strategic Plan aid and work towards sustainable growth and development.

Liberia Girls’ Opportunities to The May 2016 final report describes the results achieved by the Access Learning (GOAL) Plus USAID/Liberia GOAL Plus activity. Though the focus is largely on Project Final Report girls, the report also addresses youth education and the challenges they face in the classroom and continuing enrollment.

Liberia HIV & AIDS Response This UNAIDS report summarizes available data (as of 2015) on Progress Report HIV/AIDS prevalence, knowledge, risk factors, treatment, services, and programming.

The Impact of the Ebola Virus This assessment surveyed 63 VSLA groups to understand the Disease on Village Savings and impacts of EVD on their capacity to disburse loans and hold Loans Associations (VSLA) meetings. The assessment found that more than 95% of the groups Montserrado, Margibi, Bong, and reported a high level of absenteeism and that VSLA members were Lofa Counties unable to participate in meaningful income generating activities during the 2014 cropping season.

Ebola Impact Revealed: An This assessment aimed to determine the different impacts of EVD Assessment of the Differing on men, women, girls, and boys in Liberia. The study used primary Impact of the Outbreak on data collection (surveys and focus groups), representative at a Women and Men in Liberia national level, undertaken in January and February 2015.

Study on the Gender Impacts of This study examined the gender impacts of Ebola following a two- Ebola in Liberia week desk review and one-week field study in Monrovia and Buchanan. The study found that EVD reinforced existing social inequities and exacerbated vulnerabilities.

UNDP Africa Policy Note: The policy note examines the spread of EVD and the effects on Confronting the Gender Impact of women and girls. Female susceptibility to infection is largely Ebola Virus Disease in Guinea, attributable to their frontline role as caregivers, and the EVD Liberia, and Sierra Leone outbreak has also resulted in a decline in maternal and child health.

Advancing Youth Project Final The final project report describes the achievements of the Report Advancing Youth Project, as well as recommendations for future youth programming in Liberia.

None of these studies are representative at the county level. The most recent study that would provide information regarding where youth are located is the 2010 Labor Force Survey, which provides demographic and labor force participation statistics by region (North Western, South Central, South

Eastern A, South Eastern B, North Central, and Greater Monrovia), urban vs. rural, sex, and age group. According to this survey, 45% of youth live in rural areas, and 55% in urban areas. The Greater Monrovia area shows the highest concentration of youth, with 38.5% of the population between the ages of 15-34.

Figure 1: Distribution of Liberian Youth by Region

There are some significant disparities in school attendance among urban and rural populations, male and female, and ‘younger’ and ‘older’ youth. The table below15 summarizes these differences: Table 2: School Attendance Among Youth

Age Group Urban Urban Rural Rural

Male Female Male Female

15-24 89.9% 69.2% 67.3% 33.7%

25-34 79.5% 53.7% 61.8% 25.1%

The figures above confirm that there are substantial and significant numbers of out-of-school youth (especially female youth). Out-of-school youth are significantly disadvantaged when it comes to seeking

15 Adapted from the ILO 2010 Labor Force Study, Table 2.6 17 gainful employment. However, there are programs such as Alternative Basic Education that offer youth the opportunity to gain the basic literacy and numeracy skills that employers and self-employed individuals need. The primary opportunities identified by GOL and donors for out-of-school youth are TVET and agriculture. As of 2016, there is no central coordinating agency to oversee TVET in Liberia, and TVET programs are housed within different ministries, agencies, and commissions.16 These opportunities are limited, though, with only 8% of youth having knowledge of or access to TVET in their region.17 The Initial Assessment of Data and Information Sources for TVET in Liberia also found that there is a mismatch between TVET programs available and the workforce need and challenges identified by employers, with coursework focusing more on theory than on practical and competency-based aspects. The most recent studies on labor market demands were conducted by USAID (Advancing Youth Project’s Labor Market Assessment) and Women’s Refugee Commission (Dreams Deferred) in 2012 and 2009, respectively. The map below shows the value chains that these two reports as holding promising opportunities for youth. Annex III further describes these opportunities, including the type of positions that are promising for males and females. It is important to note that this data leverages only the data collected through these two reports, which had limited sample sizes and did not cover all areas of the country. Figure 2: Value Chain Opportunities by County

16 Momoh, Hindowa, Tegegn Nuresu Wako. “An Initial Assessment of Data and Information Sources for TVET in Liberia.” US Agency for International Development. July 2016. 17 “Liberia youth services mapping and profiling study (LYSMPS).” LYSMPS Steering Committee, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mercy Corps Liberia, United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). August 2016.

QUESTION 2 What information exists on the following topics?

Literacy and Numeracy Skills Though nation-wide literacy is 47.6%, there are significant differences between male and female populations, with significantly more males (62.4%) being able to read and write than females (32.8%).18 Furthermore, youth in the 15-24 age group are more likely able to read and write than those in the 25- 34 age group, according to the ILO Labor Force Study. This study presents literacy rates by county and sex, summarized below. At the time of the Labor Force Study in 2010, the literacy rate was estimated at 57% (66% male, 49% female), indicating that conditions are likely worse off now than they were in 2010.

Figure 3: Literacy Rates by County

Literacy Rates by County (2010) 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 % Literacy 30 20 10 0

County

15-24 Male 15-24 Female 25-34 Male 25-34 Female

Literacy rates are lowest among rural female youth in the 25-34 age range, at 25.3%.19 Several of the documents in the desk review pointed to the weak and/or inaccessible education system in Liberia. Practices such as bribery, sexual exploitation for grades, and teacher absenteeism are common, resulting in many young people moving through the school system without basic literacy and numeracy skills, not to mention the life skills necessary for gainful employment.20 The Ministry of Education is seeking to address the issue of absenteeism by identifying ‘ghost teachers’ and assessing functional literacy among

18 "The World Factbook: LIBERIA." Central Intelligence Agency. June 21, 2017. 19 LISGIS, “Report on the Liberia Labor Force Survey 2010” 20 “Advancing Youth Project. Labor Market – Liberia.” Education Development Center, 2012. 19 teachers. As of February 2017, the Ministry had identified 1,892 ‘ghost teachers’ in the education system and recruited 1,305 teachers to replace them.21 There is little information available on numeracy skills among Liberian youth; however, anecdotal evidence from interviews with employers suggest that youth often do not have the numeracy skills required for success in the formal sector.

Capacity and Impact of Civil Society Organizations Focused on Youth, particularly Local Youth Groups The Federation of Liberian Youths (FLY) is an active civil society organization (CSO) in Liberia. FLY was established in 1979 and acts as an umbrella organization of youth and students in Liberia. It organizes and coordinates the activities of Liberian youth and aims to facilitate the holistic development and empowerment of Liberian youth and students.22 FLY has a total membership of 389 youth organizations; however, the website does not have a list of all the member organizations posted. Though FLY is active, it has historically been underfunded. It has, however, established productive partnerships with donors such as USAID, UNICEF, and UNFPA. It also coordinates its actions with the government, and advocates for positive youth participation in civil society. In its “State of the Youth – Year End Message 2015”, FLY noted that “the Federation is concerned… [with] the perceived notion that most young people in Liberia are gullible, belly driven and violent and therefore call on all youths to be positive, focus[ed] and take charge of the destiny of the fame and name of the youth community in particular and the nation in general.”23 Youth CSOs also exist in Liberia’s counties, including Youth in Action for the Prevention of HIV/AIDS in Gbarpolu, Grand Gedeh Youth Development Association in Grand Gedeh, Gio Quarter Youth Association and National Youth United for Transparency and Accountability in Margibi, and the National Youth Movement for Transparent Elections and Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Montserrado. Youth groups (especially those based in the capital) should not necessarily be considered to be representative of youth attitudes. A study on youth employment in Liberia indicated that marginalized urban youth and rural youth were dissatisfied with youth organizations’ ability to speak on their behalf.24 That said, many CSOs (even those not focused on youth) claim to address child and youth rights. In a 2014 study completed by Search for the Common Ground, 17 of 40 CSOs report having child and youth rights as one of their primary issue areas.25 CSOs face a number of capacity issues, including resource constraints (in terms of funding, equipment, and infrastructure), lack of skilled staff (especially in writing and computer skills), and capacity for programming, monitoring, and evaluation; however, they tend to see community mobilization as an area of strength. These issues are less pronounced in Monrovia, but CSOs in the capital tend to be heavily reliant on international donor funding, making them vulnerable from a sustainability standpoint.26 CSOs tend to be primarily engaged in advocacy and individual-level training.

21 “Liberia Education Sector Analysis.” United States Agency for International Development. February 2017. 22 Federation of Liberian Youth, http://www.flylr.org/index.php/template-explore/our-profile 23 Federation of Liberian Youth 24 Enria, L. Real Jobs in Fragile Contexts: Reframing Youth Employment Programming in Liberia and Sierra Leone .Report. University of Bath. July 2014 25 Search for Common Ground in Liberia, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, and West Africa Civil Society Institute. Civil Society Rapid Assessment: Liberia. Report. Search for Common Ground - Liberia. 2014. 26 Search for Common Ground in Liberia, “Civil Society Rapid Assessment: Liberia”, 2014 20

Crime, Drug Use, and Prostitution The US Department of State regards Liberia to be at high risk of crime, particularly petty crime and theft.27 The majority (79%) of those surveyed through the Liberia Youth Services Mapping and Profiling Study reported the crime rate to be normal or low, with only 17% of households having been a victim of a crime in the past.28 Sexual violence continues to be a serious issue in Liberia, and is the second most commonly reported serious crime in the country.29 As sexual violence was used systematically as a weapon of war during the country’s civil war, Liberia has struggled with a persistent culture of sexual violence. The Human Rights and Protection Service (HRPS) of UN found that courts convicted 34 individuals for rape in all of Liberia in 2015, out of over 803 reported cases that year.30 A high proportion of youth (both male and female) are dealing with the psychological and/or physical repercussions of sexual violence.31 The 2013 Liberia Demographic and Health Survey (LDHS) reports that 13% of females aged 15-24 have experienced sexual violence.32 Only approximately 38% of crimes are reported to the police, with females significantly less likely to report a crime.33 The UNODC has found that drug use among youths is rising in Liberia, especially among former combatants who likely started using drugs during the period of the civil war. With inadequate drug prevention, rehabilitation, or treatment efforts in the country, these youth often remain drug users. The primary drug of choice in Liberia is cannabis, which is relatively inexpensive and can be produced locally. Cocaine and heroin are also used, but to a lesser extent; however, use of these drugs is linked to higher levels of criminality and violence.34 A 2012 study of 802 Liberian secondary school students participating in a cross-sectional survey found that 51% of respondents reported using alcohol and 9% of respondents reported using cannabis.35 A follow-up qualitative study of 72 students explored behaviors associated with and consequences of substance use. Through the study, students cited a number of reasons why youth used alcohol and marijuana, largely centered around coping mechanisms for social anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress.36 There is virtually no information publicly available about drug use in Liberia post-EVD. UNODC estimates that 12.4% of the population of West and Central Africa use cannabis, and less than one percent use cocaine.37 Though prostitution is illegal in Liberia, 71% of sexually active female youth aged 15-24 report having received money or a gift for sex, and 56% of male youth report having given money/goods in exchange for sex.38 Though not all of these cases are indicative of prostitution as an occupation among sexually active

27 OSAC. Liberia 2016 Crime and Safety Report. Report. Bureau of Diplomatic Security, US Department of State. May 25, 2016. 28 Ministry of Youth and Sports, “Liberia Youth Services Mapping and Profiling Study”, 2016 29 "Rape "second most reported" serious crime in Liberia: UN." Rape "second most reported" serious crime in Liberia: UN | United Nations Radio. October 14, 2016. 30 UNMIL, and OHCHR. Addressing Impunity for Rape in Liberia. United Nations Mission in Liberia. October 2016. 31 "Tackling Liberia's high rape rate." IRIN. December 01, 2015. 32 Republic of Liberia. National AIDS Commission. National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan 2015-2020. By United Nations in Liberia, USAID, and The Global Fund. July 2014. 33 Ministry of Youth and Sports, “Liberia Youth Services Mapping and Profiling Study”, 2016 34 US Department of State “International Narcotics Control Strategy Report” 2014 35 Harris BL, et al. “Substance use behaviors of secondary school students in post-conflict Liberia: a pilot study. Inter J Culture and Mental Health” 36 Pullen, Samuel J. et al. “Qualitative Analysis of Substance Use among Liberian Youth: Understanding Behaviors, Consequences, and Protective Factors Involving School Youth and the School Milieu.” International Journal of Mental Health and Psychiatry. February 2016. 37 UNODC. “World Drug Report 2017.” Office on Drugs and Crime, United Nations. 2017. Accessed September 1, 2017. https://www.unodc.org/wdr2017/index.html. 38 National AIDS Commission “National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan 2015-2020”, 2014. 21 youth, the figure does point to the general acceptance of transactional sex among Liberian youth. Prostitution is understood as a legacy of the civil war, during which young girls became “girlfriends” of fighters who could get them food or gifts. Furthermore, HIV/AIDS and the recent EVD epidemic have left scores of youth without parents and, with no education or skills, they feel compelled to turn to prostitution to earn a living.39

HIV/AIDS and At-Risk Youth UNAIDS estimates that there were 1,600 individuals of all ages newly infected with HIV/AIDS, and 30,000 living with HIV/AIDS in 2015. Of these, only 27% of adults (15 and older) are estimated to be receiving antiretroviral therapy (30% of women, 21% of men).40 According to the 2013 LDHS, the national HIV prevalence is 1.9%, but is significantly higher in urban areas (Female – 2.7%, Male – 2.5%) than in rural areas (Female – 1.0%, Male – 0.7%).41 Greater Monrovia has higher prevalence rates than any other area of the country (Female – 3.0%, Male – 3.4%). This pattern holds true for youth aged 15-24, where there is a 1.5% prevalence rate; however, rates of infection vary significantly between male and female youth (0.4% male vs. 1.3% female for age 15-19; 0.7% male vs. 2.0% female for age 19-24).42 Youth are at particularly high risk for infection, as they are more likely to engage in transactional sex and/or sex with multiple partners, and show low levels of condom use. 91% of female and 86% of male youth aged 15-24 report being sexually active.43 The EVD had a crippling effect on Liberia’s ability to provide treatment for patients living with HIV/AIDS in Liberia. Prior to the outbreak, there were 144 HIV/AIDS care centers serving 70% of the population. With the EVD outbreak, more than 60% of these facilities closed due to a shortage of health workers and fear of EVD transmission.44 The Ministry of Youth and Sports runs 5 counseling and testing centers for young people in Margibi and Grand Bassa counties,45 but the system remains under-equipped to provide individuals living with HIV with the care they need. Even though some health centers have re-opened, they provide only limited services.46 The Planned Parenthood Association of Liberia notes that there are very few youth friendly sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services tailored specifically for youth, as public provision of contraceptives targets married couples almost exclusively.47 School is considered to be a primary venue for teaching youth about safe sex practices and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).48 However, with the large proportion of out-of-school youth, this forum alone is not sufficient for providing comprehensive sexual health education to youth, and prevalence rates for out-of-school youth are close to the national prevalence rate.49

39 Drake, Matthew. "Child prostitutes sleep amongst the DEAD to stay safe from evil." Mirror. July 09, 2016. 40 UNAIDS. Prevention Gap Report. Report. UNAIDS. 2016. 41 National AIDS Commission “National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan 2015-2020”, 2014. 42 Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services - LISGIS, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare/Liberia, National AIDS Control Program/Liberia, and ICF International. "Liberia DHS, 2013 - Final Report (English)." Liberia: DHS, 2013 - Final Report (English). 2013. 43 Informing HIV prevention efforts targeting Liberian youth: a study using the PLACE method in Liberia, Donna R McCarraher et al Reproductive Health 2013, 10:54 44 IRIN . "Ebola hampers HIV/AIDS care in Liberia." IRIN News, November 21, 2014. 45 National AIDS Commission “National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan 2015-2020”, 2014. 46 Ministry of Youth and Sports, “Liberia Youth Services Mapping and Profiling Study”, 2016 47 Bee-Neeplo, Ernree. “Promoting Integrated SRH/HIV Services for Girls at Risk and Persons with Disabilities.” Planned Parenthood Association of Liberia. 48 Ibid. 49 Figure and statistics from National AIDS Commission “National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan 2015-2020”, 2014. 22

Figure 4: HIV Prevalence by Key Population Group

The 2010-2014 National Strategic Framework for HIV recognized the importance of preventing transmission among Liberia’s youth and targeted this demographic with HIV prevention information and services; however, programming efforts were poorly coordinated and had small geographic coverage. Furthermore, very little information exists regarding the outcome of these services.50

Accreditation, Vocational Training and Training Institutions As previously stated, TVET is seen as one of the primary vehicles for engaging youth in employment and self-employment. The Initial Assessment of Data and Information Sources for TVET in Liberia, however, found that the existing TVET programs are not responsive to the demands of the labor market, and rather are tailored around the skills Liberians want to gain, as opposed to the skills needed by employers. Exacerbating this, engagement of the private sector has been notably absent from TVET curriculum development.51 This results in a mismatch between the skills available and existing job opportunities, and to the perception among employers that TVET is insufficient and irrelevant to their needs. The courses in Liberia are also more heavily based on theory rather than practical application, and employers continue to have difficulty finding skilled workers.52Availability of these programs is also sparse throughout Liberia. In the 2016 Liberia Youth Services Mapping and Profiling Study, despite 78% of respondents being interested in participating in a TVET program, such programs were only available locally for 8% of respondents. Of all available employment services, vocational training is the most common. This further points to the lack of services available to youth for seeking gainful employment. Some TVET institutions and resources available to students include:

50 National AIDS Commission “National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan 2015-2020”, 2014. 51 Wilmoth, David. “Empowering Liberian Youth through Technical and Vocational Education and Training: International Case Studies for Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum Monrovia.” July 2012 52Momoh, Hindowa, “An Initial Assessment of Data and Information Sources for TVET in Liberia.” July 2016. 23

Table 3: TVET Institutions and Programs

Name of Institution/Program Location Description

Booker Washington Kakata, Margibi BWI has approximately 2,000 students and Agricultural and Industrial County offers courses in agriculture, automotive, Institute of Liberia (BWI) electricity, electronics, building, business, and domestic science.

Monrovia Vocational Training Monrovia MVTC was built by the Chinese Center (MVTC) Government and has approximately 2,800 students, making it the largest in Liberia. It offers courses in Architecture, Graphic Arts, Masonry, Plumbing, Carpentry, Computer Education, Electricity, Auto Mechanics, Welding, Heavy Mechanics, and Fabrication.

Liberia Opportunities Grand Bassa County LOIC is an 18-month program that offers Industrialization Centre training in masonry, welding, home arts, (LOIC) tailoring, carpentry, engineering, and electricity.

Self Help Initiative for Monrovia This program is funded through 2017 to Sustainable Development offer approximately 400 students training (SHIFSD) in general construction, vehicle mechanics, tailoring, and literacy.

Though TVET is gaining in popularity, it continues to be perceived as a secondary option for those who were unable to progress to higher education.53 And, even with higher numbers of individuals trained through TVET, the quality of the training is not always sufficient for employer standards, and certificates are not recognized by government authorities.54

Private Sector Employment and Economic Trends The Advancing Youth Project conducted a Labor Market Assessment in 2012, one goal of which was to determine the skills and characteristics that are currently in demand in the labor market. As part of this study, the researchers conducted a quantitative survey of 656 businesses and employers to capture perceptions of youth and inform revision of ABE curricula. The results as they relate to employee recruitment and desirable skills/characteristics are summarized in the table below:

53 Ibid. 54 “Dreams Deferred: Educational and Skills-building Needs and Opportunities for Youth in Liberia.” Women’s Refugee Commission. September 2009. 24

Table 4: Labor Market Needs

Skill/Characteristic % of Respondents

Most important characteristic in Education 24.4% an employee

Second most important Job Experience 17.7% characteristic in an employee

Most important requirement in Marketing Skills55 30% an employee

Second most important Financial management skills 21.3% requirement in an employee

Employers also listed trustworthiness, honesty, discipline, and good character as desirable traits in future employees56 Youth have an uphill battle when it comes to fighting prevailing perceptions about young people in Liberia. In the same study, employers, business leaders, and government officials characterized youth as untrustworthy and unmotivated, and were asked to indicate their perceptions of youth as it relates to reliability, agreeableness, skills, knowledge, and work ethic. The Initial Assessment of Data and Information Sources for TVET in Liberia found that youth are in high demand by the banking sector, provided that they have the required education and skills. Other studies, though, suggest that the banking sector faces an uphill battle to becoming a viable financial management pathway for most Liberians. Liberians tend to be reluctant to put their income and savings into a bank, for fear that it will be lost with another shock (conflict, disease, etc.), and prefer instead to use community susus or VSLAs.57 The mining sector and other extractive industries present some opportunities for youth, though the opportunities are relatively limited, and foreign investment in these industries have not necessarily contributed to trickle-down growth.58 The mining and extractive sectors are dependent on fluctuating global market prices and face a high level of uncertainty, resulting in investors that are less willing to build the in-country capacity needed to employ local staff, opting instead to hire foreign staff for middle management positions.59 Commercial agriculture presents a promising opportunity for youth employment, but it is not considered to be a desirable pathway for youth. Youth tend to have a low regard for farming, seeing it as risky and backbreaking work (largely due to the lack of mechanization).60 Despite widespread government recognition and prioritization of agriculture as a viable employment pathway for youth, these perceptions continue to hold as youth migrate to urban areas. The agricultural sector forms a large part of the informal

55 The survey instrument for this study included “Marketing skills” as the first listed option, which may have biased the results. For more information on position bias, see Blunch, Niels J. “Position Bias in Multiple Choice Questions” Journal of Marketing Research Vol. 21, No. 2 (May, 1984) pp. 216-220 56 “Advancing Youth Project. Labor Market – Liberia.” Education Development Center, 2012. 57 Korkoyah, Dala T., Jr., and Francis F. Wreh. "Ebola Impact Revealed: An Assessment of the Differing Impact of the Outbreak on Women and Men in Liberia." July 2015. 58 Enria, L. Real Jobs in Fragile Contexts: Reframing Youth Employment Programming in Liberia and Sierra Leone. July 2014. 59 Ibid. 60 “Keynote Address “Developing Youth Entrepreneurs through Agriculture”. January 2017. 25 economy comprised primarily of smallholders and subsistence farmers, reinforcing youth perceptions that it does not offer a means of stable employment.61

Village Savings, Loan Associations, and Access to Credit Liberian youth and businesses see access to credit as one of the major barriers to growth and entrepreneurship. VSLAs are a popular option, especially among women, growing from a membership of 144 in 2009 to approximately 5,000 in September 2014, with an average of 30 members per group.62 In response to the EVD outbreak, though, cumulative share value for VSLAs dropped an estimated 34%, greatly reducing access to loans for VSLA members. Most youth pursue access to credit through informal loan mechanisms such as village clubs and susus, or borrowed money from friends, if they borrow money at all (only 8% of surveyed youth have borrowed money or taken out a loan).63 Youth tend to believe they need a lot of money to open and operate a bank account and are intimidated by the bureaucratic process, and also face challenges convincing lending institutions that they are a viable borrower.64 The Advancing Youth Project added a VSLA component to their ABE activities in Bong, Lofa, and Nimba counties. To assess the impact of the VSLAs, AYP conducted a non-representative mixed-method study in their intervention sites. The youth in the study used their loans in a variety of ways, summarized in Figure 5 below: Figure 5: Loan Use Among Youth In The AYP VSLAs (n = 450)

Significantly more female youth (67.1%) chose to save than male youth (39.1%). All participants had long- term plans for how they would use the savings from the VSLA, with the greatest numbers planning to buy/repair a house (57.1%) or continue their or their child’s education (47.8%). In commenting on the benefits of participation in the VSLA, study participants noted that the ability to save more was a primary benefit, but also the non-financial aspects of participation were seen as benefits, such as gaining leadership

61 Lindberg, Emy. Youth and the Labour Market in Liberia - on history, state structures and spheres of informalities. 2014. 62 Langlay, Norwood. The Impact of Ebola Virus Disease on Village Savings and Loans Associations Montserrado, Margibi, Bong, and Lofa Counties. Report. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. December 19, 2014. 63 Ministry of Youth and Sports, “Liberia Youth Services Mapping and Profiling Study”, 2016 64 Education Development Center, Inc. Youth Participation in Village Savings and Loan Associations in an Integrated ABE Program. USAID/Liberia. February 2017. 26 and teamwork skills. The report recommends that VSLAs should continue throughout Liberia, especially for out-of-school youth, and should be accompanied by financial literacy training.

Access to Technology There is little data available on post-EVD access to technology. As of 2010, only 7% of the population had some form of Internet access,65 but the rates of Internet subscription are much lower. A major source of Internet access is cyber-cafés. Home and school-based Internet access is relatively rare, though mobile Internet access is growing. According to a study completed by the World Bank of 100 cyber-café users in Greater Monrovia, 90% of users were male, with 52% between the ages of 25-34 and 24% aged 24 or younger.66 These demographics are consistent with the findings from the Liberia Youth Services Mapping and Profiling Study, which found that 86% of surveyed females had never accessed a computer.67 All respondents had some post-secondary education, and 76% reported having a college degree. A third of the users were students, 43% were self-employed, and 11% were unemployed. Users primarily use cyber- cafés to check email and social networks, or browse, and very few use the Internet for recreational activities (such as movies and games), though this may be driven by low bandwidth capabilities.68 The report argues that there is an emerging class of “super-techies” who exhibit more sophisticated use of technology, and are more likely to have technology access in their own homes and more frequently use technology for income-related activities.69 The vast majority of youth in Liberia, though, have limited computer fluency, even among educated youth. The PYPP assembled a group of university-educated youth to be deployed in positions throughout public service, including in Ministries. Their supervisors frequently cited the ability to use basic software and report writing as two areas of weakness among the program’s youth.70 Furthermore, school principals surveyed in the Liberia Youth Services Mapping and Profiling Study revealed that most students have no exposure to computers until after they graduate from high school.71 Mobile phone use is widely prevalent, and there are four major mobile carriers in Liberia, two of which also offer mobile Internet services. A study conducted by the Georgia Tech University found that rural mobile phone users, in particular, used mobile phones to feel more connected to the rest of the world, with mobile technology being the only available Information Communication Technology (ICT) service in many rural areas. Most rural users have the most basic phone models, and consider them to be exclusively practical, rather than a consumer commodity. The majority of Liberian users (both rural and urban) consider mobile phones to be important for emergency services and security, more so than users in other African countries.72

Media There are few post-EVD reports about media use among youth in Liberia; however, Internews launched the USAID Liberia Media Development program in 2016 designed to strengthen and improve quality media products and support the Independent Information Commissioner (IIC) in the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act. Reports emerging from this activity may shed more light on youth access and use of media post-EVD. As mobile phones with Internet access become more popular, this may evolve into a popular media source for Liberian youth. However, Internet access remains low across the country.

65 World Bank/ITU (2010) “The Little Data Book on Information and Communication Technology.” Washington DC: World Bank. 66 InfoDev. Cables, Commissions, and Cybercafes: ICTs in Post-Conflict Liberia. Report. The World Bank. March 2013. 67 Ministry of Youth and Sports, “Liberia Youth Services Mapping and Profiling Study”, 2016 68 InfoDev. “Cables, Commissions, and Cybercafes”, 2013 69 Ibid. 70 Princeton University. “President’s Young Professionals Program of Liberia. Evaluation Report.” July 2016. 71 Ministry of Youth and Sports, “Liberia Youth Services Mapping and Profiling Study”, 2016 72 Best, Michael L., et al. Use of Mobile Phones in Post-Conflict Liberia. 27

Facebook’s Free Basics program, which provides access to Facebook and selected websites without incurring data charges, has also launched in Liberia, though the effects on increasing connectivity are yet to be seen.73 Facebook is, by far, the social media option of choice among Internet users, capturing approximately 93% of the market share of Internet users.74 The most recent media consumption studies were conducted only in greater Monrovia, so the findings below are not representative of the entire country. A 2011 study of 400 Greater Monrovia residents (of all ages) on media and the advertising market revealed that 52% own a television and 79% claim to watch television, most at prime time and early evening. Eighty-six percent of respondents owned a radio, and 94.3% claim they listen to the radio, most in the early morning or evening. Newspapers are also a popular form of communicating news and information, as well as advertisements.75 A 2013 survey of cyber-café users in Greater Monrovia (which were predominantly male youth) indicated that, beyond Internet use, newspapers are a popular source of information on jobs and businesses, as well as government and political information. Radio also emerged as a popular source of similar information.76 Radio has been used by the government, development organizations, and other information providers as a primary means of communicating with the public, and it enjoys wide prevalence across Liberia. In 2016, Internews mapped 100 radio stations across the country, developing fact sheets describing number of staff, programming, condition of transmitter, and audience size.77 Visual media is thought to be more effective among youth, according to the International Foundation for Electoral Systems. Electoral candidates are investing in videos that use storytelling and local narratives to capture youth voters in preparation for the October 2017 elections.78

Micro-Finance Opportunities This study found no reports that specifically addressed micro-finance opportunities for youth. The primary micro-finance provider in Liberia is BRAC, which suspended micro-finance operations for 8 months in response to the EVD outbreak. It resumed operations in March 2015, and provided $2.52 million in microloans and $1.58 million in small enterprise loans to 14,000 borrowers. Through their adolescent empowerment programming, BRAC also established four microcredit groups for older adolescents comprised of 60 members. These groups disbursed $2,906 to 33 borrowers.79 The International Youth Foundation is also providing youth with knowledge and training to create small and micro-enterprises.80

Challenges and Opportunities for Civic Engagement The 2009 Youth Fragility Assessment conducted a survey of urban youth, with a portion of the survey dedicated to civic engagement. The assessment measured the sense of “belonging” to a community among youth. Only about a quarter (25% male and 20% female) of surveyed respondents claimed membership in a formal organization. It found that 71% of respondents that claimed membership in an organization (55%

73 "Liberia: Cellcom Partners With Facebook to Connect Liberia." AllAfrica.com. October 23, 2015. 74 “Social Media Stats in Liberia, August 2017”. StatCounter Global Stats. August 2017. 75 IREX. Understanding the Media and Advertising Market in Liberia. USAID/Liberia. July 2011. 76 InfoDev. “Cables, Commissions, and Cybercafes”, 2013 77 "Liberia: Radio Station Maps." Liberia: Radio Station Maps | Internews. May 10, 2016. 78 "Modernizing Civic and Voter Education in Liberia." International Foundation for Electoral Systems. March 7, 2017. 79 BRAC. BRAC 2015 Annual Report Liberia. BRAC. 2015 80 "Liberia." International Youth Foundation. 28 female) were members of a church, and 9.5% were members of a mosque.81 Ethnic tensions, though, continue to constitute a challenge for civic engagement. 82 In September 2016, the Liberian House of Representatives and Senate passed the Equal Representation and Participation Act, which reserves one seat for youth.83 The effects of this initiative are yet to be seen; historically, though, Liberian youth are frustrated with politics and their leaders, and feel limited in their ability to shape the decisions that affect their lives.84 Political activity among youth takes a number of forms. According to the Youth Services Mapping and Profiling Study, the majority of surveyed youth were registered to vote, with higher rates of voter registration in rural counties than in urban counties (79% vs. 67%). Youth attend political rallies (more frequently in urban areas) and contact their representatives or local traditional leaders. The upcoming 2017 elections offer youth an opportunity to practice civic engagement. Youth have been active in voter education activities through CSOs, and may be engaged as poll-watchers and through campaigns. However, the National Election Commission runs the risk of disenfranchising youth that are on the cusp of voting eligibility, as there is a lack of clarity as to how the age requirements should be applied. The NEC has interpreted the Constitution to mean that voters must be 18 years of age on the date of registration; however, CSOs argue that voters need only to be 18 on the day they vote.85

QUESTION 3 What, if any, gaps exist in the information available about youth and workforce development in Liberia that should be addressed by the Youth Cross-Sector Working Group when designing the youth assessment? Liberia faces the dual challenge of data availability and data reliability, especially in capturing the post-EVD reality. Below, the author highlights the three priority areas that should be addressed by the Youth Cross- Sector Working Group when making programming decisions with the available information. Employer and Market Needs – The desk research suggests that workforce preferences and training programs are not aligned to the needs of employers, and a detailed study focused on the “demand” side of the labor force would provide valuable insights for future programming. The Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) and Labor Force studies (though they need to be updated for the post-EVD reality) provide information on how and where people are employed, as well as the skills that the workforce hope to gain. However, there is not a systematic assessment of what skills and knowledge are most needed by employers to fulfill market demands and grow the economy. As part of this study, it would be useful to probe further employers’ perceptions of youth (e.g. youth are lazy) and why these perceptions exist so that USAID can better understand how to overcome these perceptions. Furthermore, it is critical that this assessment of market needs include the informal economy, in that it would shed light on what market needs exist that might be filled with providers in the informal economy. The informal economy is currently where the majority of Liberians are employed, but the prevailing thinking with regard to the informal economy is that the activities taking place are unproductive.86 By identifying (a) which informal economy activities are productive and display growth potential and (b) what

81 Walker, Gary, et al. Liberia Youth Fragility Assessment. USAID/Liberia. April 2009. 82 Ibid. 83 "Signalling a boost for gender equality, Liberia passes the 'Affirmative Action Bill'." UN Women. October 3, 2016. 84 Ministry of Youth and Sports, “Liberia Youth Services Mapping and Profiling Study”, 2016 85 NDI. Statement of the NDI Pre-Election Assessment Mission to Liberia's 2017 Presidential and Legislative Elections. National Democratic Institute. 2017 86 Enria, L. “Real Jobs in Fragile Contexts: Reframing Youth Employment Programming in Liberia and Sierra Leone”, 2014 29 unmet needs – especially consumer needs – currently exist, training and skill-building programs can adapt to match the needs and realities of the informal market. Media use outside of Monrovia – The studies done on media and technology use are largely focused on greater Monrovia, and also don’t account for the rapid rise of mobile Internet. Though radio will likely continue to be the primary media outlet for Liberian youth, USAID may want to explore how the spread of mobile Internet and rural connectivity may enhance programming. Youth Attitudes toward Agriculture – The Government of Liberia has committed to growing the economy through agriculture and recognizes the importance of agriculture to the country’s future food security. The average age of farmers in Liberia is 55 years old; with a life expectancy of 65-70 years, Liberia will be hard pressed to meet the food production needs to support the population in 10-15 years without new farmers entering the industry.87 The government also widely acknowledges the fact that agriculture is not an attractive industry for youth, but there has been little research exploring the barriers (even self- imposed) to youth entering the agricultural sector, and how those can be overcome. Only 3% of the youth population expresses any interest in agriculture, though this perhaps presents the greatest opportunity for employment.88 On a related note, there are few surveys or studies done of rural youth, so it is critical that USAID gather information on their perspective, including their incentives for leaving rural areas in favor of urban centers.

QUESTION 4 A mapping of existing and planned USAID activities by sector: a. What activities could be adapted or applied to benefit youth or sub-populations of youth? b. How have our activities benefitted youth or could they be adapted to do so? c. Have there been any unintended benefits to youth or sub-populations of youth? To respond to this question, the author reviewed publicly available reports on the Development Experience Clearinghouse and the USAID Performance Indicator Database System (PIDS). Due to limited time to complete the desk study and the high volume of reports, the author focused on reports generated after 2015 and searched for narrative descriptions of activities addressing youth. The Advancing Youth Project has been the primary vehicle for youth-related programming since 2011 (ended June 2017), and though other activities work on issues of concern for youth, few of them address youth directly, or have indicators to measure youth-related outcomes. It is likely that many of these activities are involving youth to a greater extent than is reflected in the reports. Recommendations for how this can be explored further are included in the final section of this report. The maps below were generated by Liberia Strategic Analysis using PIDS data from June 2017. The maps depict ongoing USAID activities for each sector.

87 Concept Paper for Youth in Agriculture - Ministry of Agriculture/WAAPP. USAID/Liberia.

88 Walker, Gary, et al., “Liberia Youth Fragility Assessment.” April 2009. 30

Figure 6: Current USAID DRG Activities by County

Figure 7: Current USAID Education Activities by County

Figure 8: Current USAID Economic Growth Activities by County

Figure 9: Current USAID Health Activities by County

USAID’s CDCS for 2013-2017 focused primarily on institutional strengthening across its four development objectives (DOs). Institutional strengthening requires patience and constant, steady support through technical assistance, human and institutional capacity building (HICD), and complexity-aware programming. The CDCS reflects these needs, but the EVD outbreak interrupted programming and set the institutions back in their progress. In the years since EVD, there has been an emphasis on rebuilding and returning to an enabling environment for growth to occur. With these institutional strengthening interventions, there has been seemingly low purposeful engagement with youth, as youth are rarely in decision-making positions, nor do they feel their views and voices are represented in government or community leadership. Though these activities may not target youth specifically, they do have the potential to benefit youth as users of services provided by institutions. Implementers should be attentive to the ways in which youth use or participate in institutions, and develop indicators that capture the impacts on youth. The table below reflects examples of how this can be done, though the list is not exhaustive.

Table 5: Examples of Activity Implementation Strategies for Youth Benefit89

Democracy and Governance

Engage youth in activities focused on changing perceptions of gender roles, ethnic prejudices, etc.

Continue supporting CSOs (both in urban and rural areas) that prioritize youth

Provide training on social media and mobile technology use to enable civic activism

Full participation of youth in community decision making (meaning they can influence decisions and can identify the issues that are important to them)

Improved rule of law (especially among rural chiefs) can lead to fairer outcomes for youth90

Assess impact of new laws on youth. For example, a law prohibiting farming in the forest would have disproportionate negative outcomes for youth, as they comprise a high percentage of those who have been farming in the forest91

Economic Growth

Address negative perceptions of youth among potential employers

Provide youth with financial management training and enhance financial literacy

Equip youth with soft skills and life skills training92

Increase access to credit specifically for youth

Revise TVET curriculum to be responsive to employer and market needs, rather than tailored to the skills youth want to gain

Enable entrepreneurship and innovation through grant mechanisms and training on how to navigate the steps required to start a business

89 Adapted from various resources, including: CSSP. Engaging Youth in Community Decision Making. Center for the Study of Social Policy. 2007. 90 The Mitchell Group, Inc., Lessons Learned Evaluation: Access to Justice and Information. Report. USAID/Liberia. June 20, 2013 91 Cardno Emerging Markets USA, Ltd. . First Annual Work Plan: Feeder Roads Alternative and Maintenance Program (FRAMP), 4 March 2016 to 30 September 2016.Report. USAID/Liberia. June 23, 2016. 92 Youth Power Action. Guiding Principles for Building Soft Skills among Adolescents and Young Adults. USAID . June 2017. 34

Health

Create youth advisory panels for county and district health offices

Continue measuring the extent to which health facilities are “youth-friendly” 93

Train youth as volunteer nurses to assist clinic staff with registering and recording clients, taking vital signs, etc. 94

Facilitate peer-led health education sessions among youth in communities

Education

Include curriculum devoted to teaching over-age students in teacher training programs

Focus on quality of education programs so that youth are equipped to participate in civil society and economic activities

Continue supporting alternative basic education

All Interventions

Assess the “current state” of youth for the related activity prior to implementation

Give youth a voice in activity design so that they can identify their priorities and needs

Involve youth as community researchers or in performance monitoring activities, especially for youth- focused research

Develop indicators that measure youth engagement

Disaggregate indicators by sex and (if relevant) age group

Based on the document review of the activities listed in the PIDS, the following ongoing activities are most eligible for adaptation for youth-related programming. It is important to note that several activities were lacking documents on the DEC, so the author was unable to gain a deep understanding of implementation strategies, and therefore opportunities for youth, for all activities. • Liberia Accountability and Voice Initiative (LAVI) – USAID can increase LAVI’s engagement with youth CSOs to shift their involvement from participation toward co-planning and partnership for LAVI-supported activities

93 InterMedia. Assessment of FARA 1.0 Outcomes on the Capacity of MOH and CHTs, and the Quality of Service Provision at Health Facilities in Liberia. USAID/Liberia. April 25, 2017. 94 Stauffer, Beverly et al. USAID/Liberia Rebuilding Basic Health Services Final Project Evaluation. USAID/Liberia. March 2015. 35

• Liberia International Election Observation (LIEO) – youth can participate as election monitors for the upcoming 2017 election • Liberia Media Development Program (LMD) – provide youth with training (as well as engage youth as trainers) for social media and citizen activism through media • Land Governance Support Activity (LGSA) – assess how land governance reform will affect youth • Liberia Agribusiness Development Activity (LADA) – explore ways to actively integrate youth into agribusiness activities and encourage agriculture as a viable profession for youth • Partnership for Advancing Community (PACS) – Train youth as community health advocates to provide public health service announcements to their communities • Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP) – assess the SRH needs of youth and the best ways to reach youth (especially out-of-school youth).

As previously noted, the majority USAID activities did not directly target youth, and as a result, youth- related benefits have not been systematically captured in reports. AYP released their final report in June 2017,95 and key results that will be relevant for continued youth programming are summarized below: • AYP, along with the MOE and ABE service providers, developed program quality standards to guide implementation of ABE programs. These standards should continue with ABE activities implemented in the future. • The project developed, tested, and revised 3 levels of ABE curricula, and organized classes in the evenings at MOE schools. • Establishment of 147 ABE Committees (akin to Parent Teacher Associations), along with training on roles and responsibilities and progress report cards. • Enrolled 22,902 learners in ABE classes, with the largest number in Level 1. This demonstrates the continuing demand for education from youth that have never attended school or dropped out early. These learners were further organized into Youth Clubs. • Provided 132,940 hours of training to 1,026 ABE facilitators. • Provided livelihood, agricultural, and vocational training to youth. Outside of the Advancing Youth Project, few USAID activities in Liberia have specifically targeted youth, but there are a few examples in the reports posted on the DEC. For example, Legal Professional Development and Anti-Corruption Program in Liberia (LPAC) contributed to development and training of a curriculum in conducting education and prevention activities for youth groups in Gbarnga and Monrovia. 96 Additionally, FLY and other CSOs focused on youth have been invited to participate in LAVI activities and events. Project or Activity monitoring systems rarely have mechanisms to capture unintended outcomes, and this is true of USAID/Liberia programming. Therefore, there is little recorded evidence of unintended benefits to the youth population. However, given their vulnerability and the critical role they play in Liberia’s growth prospects, the author encourages USAID to explore ways in which to capture unintended outcomes in future programming (see Recommendations). After a review of the reports available on the DEC, there is evidence that youth take the skills and knowledge they gain through participation in training

95 Education Development Center, Inc. Advancing Youth Project Liberia Final Report. USAID/Liberia. June 15, 2017. 96 Checchi and Company Consulting, Inc. Legal Professional Development and Anti-Corruption Program in Liberia (LPAC) Year One Annual Report (July 18, 2015 - September 30, 2016) USAID/Liberia. October 15, 2016. 36 and capacity building activities and apply it to other areas of their lives. However, these gains do not necessarily translate into community-level benefits.97

QUESTION 5 How can we map actors, programs, and services available to youth to avoid duplication of effort and increase USAID’s impact? This mapping of actors, programs, and services will be essential to designing new activities for youth programming so that USAID can determine where its comparative advantage lies and the needs of youth that are currently unmet. The desk review came across a number of documents from other organizations conducting youth-related activities in Liberia. A summary of these findings is below, but it is important to emphasize the need to engage more deeply with the donor landscape in Liberia in the preparation of the new CDCS. The documents reflect past and ongoing activities, but not necessarily future plans. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) maps all Official Development Assistance (ODA) coming into Liberia,98 and will serve as a good starting point for understanding what donors are working in Liberia, and the type of assistance they provide. The desk review found that the most active donors beyond USAID in addressing issues affecting youth are: • UNDP • UNICEF • UNFPA • World Bank (particularly, Youth Opportunity Project) • African Development Bank (particularly, Liberia Youth Entrepreneurship and Local Economic Development for Youth Employment projects) • DFID Through the Liberia Donor Influence and Collaboration Mapping study, several donors expressed that youth needed to be an area of greater focus in programming, but did not necessarily share their plans for targeting youth. As part of the youth assessment, it is recommended that USAID set up interviews with representatives from the above-listed organizations (preferably an individual working on youth programming) to understand what areas of youth engagement and development the donors will be working on, in which counties, and for how long, as well as guidance on which documents to consult to increase USAID’s understanding of other donors’ activities in the area. As with any intervention, implementers must leverage existing relationships in order to build upon previous work. AYP worked most closely with MOE and MOYS. Outside of government, AYP also worked closely with the Global Development Alliance, educational institutions such as Grand Bassa Community Collect and Liberia Opportunities Industrial Center, as well as private sector employers ArcelorMittal, Hummingbird Resource, and APM Terminals. Locally, AYP worked with the Liberian Youth Network, the

97 Social Impact Liberia Strategic Analysis. Performance Evaluation of People, Rules, and Organizations Supporting the Protection of Ecosystem Resources ("PROSPER"). USAID/Liberia. July 27, 2016. 98 OECD. “Aid Statistics by Donor, Recipient, Sector.” Accessed July 3, 2017. http://www.oecd.org/statistics/datalab/oda- recipient-sector.htm.

National Adult Education Association of Liberia, the Liberian Initiative for Developmental Services, and the Self-Help Initiative for Sustainable Development.99 The Liberian Youth Services Mapping and Profiling Study provides information on youth-identified needs, access to services, knowledge, and participation across the areas of employment, education, civic engagement, and health. A complementary study would collect data from service providers and potential employers to understand where the gaps are between the services youth desire and the services offered, as well as the gaps between the skills youth hope to gain and the skills employers need. When conducting a mapping of actors, it is important to include the private sector, as they are the main creators of jobs. As previously stated, the growth of many extractive industries has not necessarily led to job creation, as the result of a mismatch between the skills held by youth and the needs of employers. However, the private sector is undertaking some corporate social responsibility initiatives to contribute to Liberia’s growth: Table 6: Private Sector Activities Related to Youth Development

Private Sector Actor Description of Activities

Chevron Through partnership with donor entities, Chevron has undertaken a large portfolio of social investments in health, education, and enterprise development. This includes TVET for about 5,000 students, IT education for 2,000 students, and upgrading of seven education institutions.100

National Oil Company of The National Oil Company of Liberia conducts capacity building Liberia programs and local content development to increase Liberian enterprise participation in the oil sector, as well as civil society programs.

Liberia Maritime The Liberia Maritime Authority is employing up to 5,000 beach Authority101 community dwellers to clean and maintain beaches and waterways.

Arcelor Mittal Arcelor Mittal provides free health care to its employees and their families at their hospitals and prioritize hiring Liberian staff, which make up over 90% of the workforce. Arcelor Mittal also supported the Bassa Youth Caucus and also runs education and vocational training programs at all levels.102

99 Education Development Center, Inc., “Advancing Youth Final Report”, 2017 100 Chevron., “Chevron in the Community: Liberia”, 2017. https://www.chevron.com/worldwide/liberia 101 Liberia Maritime Authority. “Community Programs.” 2017. http://maritimeliberia.com/?csr/community.html 102 Arcelor Mittal. “Sustainability Report 2015.” 2015. http://corporate.arcelormittal.com/~/media/Files/A/ArcelorMittal/sdr2016/liberia-sustainability-report-2015.PDF

QUESTION 6 What are the gender dynamics in the youth population and how do we design an activity that captures these dynamics? Though efforts have been made to decrease the gender gap between male and female youth in Liberia, and have been largely successful in primary school enrollment, gender inequality is a persistent issue which places young women at a particular disadvantage, especially when it comes to overcoming social and cultural norms around gender. From a young age, children are exposed to rigid gender roles and perceptions that women are subordinate and men are superior. Indeed, the secondary school completion rate among Liberian girls is 9% (half the completion rate for boys), partially attributable to sexual violence and the burdens on unwanted pregnancy, as well as pressure to bring in income to the household.103 Furthermore, there is widespread Sexual & Gender Based Violence (SGBV) against women and girls, resulting in higher rates of HIV/AIDS and teen pregnancy, which limit women’s effective participation in society and economic activity.104 Because of the division of labor at home, women are less able to hold full-time employment, and many end up in the informal sector or in unpaid care work. The World Bank’s statistics on labor force participation show the greatest differences between middle income males and females, per Table 5 105 below:

Figure 10: Labor force participation rate by sex

A study conducted by Oxfam found that women tend to be employed in more vulnerable forms of employment, while men are more likely to have skilled work or formal employment. This trend remained consistent after the EVD outbreak, though the type of informal employment has shifted slightly, and women are now less likely to be employed as educators (likely due to school closures in response to EVD). Furthermore, the employment rate among surveyed respondents declined from 82.9% to 45.3% for

103 John, Monique, Laura Golakeh, and Hajer Naili. "In Liberia, Girls and Women Face a Future Without U.N. Peacekeepers." Women's eNews. August 26, 2016. 104 Republic of Liberia. Ministry of Gender and Development. The National Gender Policy - Abridged Version. By Ministry of Gender and Development. 2009. 105 Gender Data Portal. 2016. Accessed July 3, 2017. http://datatopics.worldbank.org/gender/country/liberia 39 males and 79% to 42% for females. The table below shows the distribution of male and female workers across multiple types of income generating activities before and after EVD.106 Table 7: Income Generating Activities before and after EVD

Programs focused on increasing employable knowledge and skills among female youth must take into consideration the constraints they face in economic participation. Many female youth become mothers at an early age, and face tremendous pressure to devote themselves to caregiving and domestic responsibilities after primary school. Considering that the majority of young Liberian women have at least primary education, skills training should focus on TVET and life skills (such as financial literacy), in line with market demands. Training programs, however, should enable female participation by offering childcare and (especially for rural women) transportation services. Programs focused on increasing school enrollment for female youth must consider the risks that girls and young women face, even in school. Exchanging sex for grades or enrollment fees is still frequent practice in many Liberian schools (among both boys and girls) and the quality of education doesn’t necessarily lead to basic literacy and numeracy skills. Community-based approaches to education may be worth further exploration, as schools would benefit from greater accountability (both with regard to quality of education and teacher conduct) and students would benefit from supportive networks of community members to encourage and reinforce learning. Women comprise 80% of the agricultural labor force and are traditionally responsible for household food security, family and home care, as well as informal economic activities. Despite their predominance in agriculture and the increased number of female-headed households, women mostly depend on male relatives to access land, and own little land of their own.107 Because of the relative difficulty women face in purchasing agricultural inputs, USAID should consider the expansion of VSLA mechanisms, of which women are the primary participants. VSLAs not only provide female youth with feasible options for credit, but also provide opportunities for personal growth and empowerment, especially when accompanied by life skills training. Like any credit scheme, though, the unintended outcomes (especially those related to

106 Korkoyah, D. et al, “Ebola Impact Revealed: An Assessment of the Differing Impact of the Outbreak on Women and Men in Liberia.”, 2015 107 Republic of Liberia, “National Gender Policy – Abridged Version”, 2009 40

SGBV) should be monitored closely to ensure that the programs are having their intended effect without worsening the social tensions that may exist between male and female youth. The statistics surround SGBV in Liberia are alarming, with women and girls comprising the vast majority of SGBV victims. The conflict was characterized by mass rape as a weapon of war, and this has left a lasting legacy of impunity and nationwide tolerance for SGBV. The Liberia DHS found that 18% of women have suffered some form of SGBV at some point in their lifetimes, though the actual figure is likely higher due to the trend of underreporting in this area.108

QUESTION 7 How do gender differences impact access and impact of youth programming? In a study done on youth employment programming in Liberia and Sierra Leone, the researchers noted that implementers highlighted difficulty with engaging young women in their programs. In their experience, young women needed more encouragement than their male peers, and were more likely to have family responsibilities that would prevent (or make difficult) their participation in youth programs or training.109 The rhetoric around youth employment is often laced with the notion that unemployed youth increase the risk of de-stabilization and violence. The poverty reduction strategy reinforced this perception, stating that “The situation of Liberian youth…[increases] the risk of a return to violence. Coupled with the breakdown of traditional values and norms as a result of the war, the situation of youth is a potentially volatile security challenge.”110 These perceptions are most frequently held of male youth, and have resulted in a greater focus in development programming on male youth employment, as well as stigmatization of male youth among employers and communities.111 Former combatants (predominantly male youth) are rarely able to secure employment in the formal sector, and have often turned to drugs, both as a source of income and as a coping mechanism. Though there were programs focused on reintegration of formal combatants into society, many of these programs simply raised expectations which then went unmet when the skills youth had gained were not employable in Liberia’s economy.112 Former female combatants are generally shunned by society, and many have resorted to prostitution to make a living, finding it difficult to get married.113 Young women have also experienced significantly adverse effects to their healthcare access as a result of the EVD outbreak. First, as women are the primary caregivers and also have burial responsibilities, they were especially susceptible to catching EVD, resulting in over 75% of the victims of EVD being women.114 Furthermore, the outbreak devastated the already weak health infrastructure in the country, with healthcare facilities either closing down or diverting the full force of its services to care for EVD patients. Though health facilities are now re-opening, there remain significant gaps in services, especially for maternal and child health. Furthermore, young women in Liberia tend to have more limited education and fewer marketable skills, and the majority were therefore self-employed. Self-employment is a more vulnerable form of employment, and less able to withstand shocks (such as outbreak of disease). As most self-employed

108 Cohen, Dara Kay, and Amelia Hoover Green. "Were 75 percent of Liberian women and girls raped? No. So why is the U.N. repeating that misleading ‘statistic'?" The Washington Post. October 26, 2016. 109 Enria, L. “Real Jos in Fragile Contexts: Reframing Youth Employment Programming in Liberia and Sierra Leone.”, 2014 110 International Monetary Fund. "IMF Staff Country Reports." Liberia: Poverty Reduction Strategy. July 7, 2008. 111 Enria, L. “Real Jos in Fragile Contexts: Reframing Youth Employment Programming in Liberia and Sierra Leone.”, 2014 112 Young, Finlay. "Lost boys: What became of Liberia's child soldiers?" The Independent. April 13, 2012. 113 MacDougall, Clair. "When Child Soldiers Grow Up." Newsweek. February 12, 2016. 114 "Women in Liberia and Ebola." Global Fund for Women. October 19, 2015. 41 women were engaged in food businesses and sale of perishable goods, EVD had a disproportionate effect on their income generating activities as agricultural activities were virtually halted and people were reluctant to buy perishable goods on the street.115 Women are also less able to participate politically. Women seeking to register to vote in the 2017 elections reported difficulty in visiting the registration centers during the opening times. In response, the NEC extended the registration period for an additional week. Women comprise 47% of registered voters for 2017,116 as compared to 49% of voters in 2011 and 48% in 2014.117 Furthermore, though the 2014 election law states that political parties “should endeavor to ensure that the governing body and its list of candidates has no less than 30% of its members from each gender… and should endeavor to have no less than 30% of the candidates on the list from each genders”118, few have plans to fully implement this provision, and the NEC has not clarified how it will be enforced.119

V. RECOMMENDATIONS

1. USAID’s assessment and programming efforts should consider both the “supply” and “demand” side of the labor market to address the current mismatch in skills and labor market needs. With limited resources for the upcoming youth assessment, it is recommended that USAID prioritize the “demand” side to better understand what employers are looking for and what needs could be filled through the informal economy, and thereby which skills TVET and ABE curricula should focus on.

2. USAID should seek to better understand the private sector’s perspective and the barriers or challenges they have encountered in hiring youth. Specific topics to explore include: the role of the GOL in facilitating increased employment of Liberian staff; existing on-the-job training opportunities; perceptions of youth; desired skills and advantages that youth can offer; barriers to hiring youth.

3. For urban youth, explore the needs and preferences of the elite consumers to better understand what services and goods present attractive and marketable opportunities for employment. Though the consumer population in Liberia is small, they can be important drivers of urban economic growth.

4. For rural youth, use the upcoming assessment as an opportunity to better understand rural youth perspectives, particularly as they relate to agriculture as a pathway for income generation. The GOL has placed high priority on making agriculture an attractive industry for Liberian youth, given the ageing farmer population.

115 Korkoyah, D. et al. “Ebola Impact Revealed: An Assessment of the Differing Impact of the Outbreak on Women and Men in Liberia.”, 2015 116 Republic of Liberia. National Elections Commission. Statement on the Release of Provisional Information on the 2017 Voter Registration Exercise. By Jerome G. Korkoya. March 23, 2017. 117 NDI, “Statement of the NDI Pre-election Assessment Mission to Liberia’s 2017 Presidential and Legislative Elections, 2017 118 Articles 4.5 (1b) and (1c) of the New Elections Law, 2015 119 NDI, “Statement of the NDI Pre-election Assessment Mission to Liberia’s 2017 Presidential and Legislative Elections, 2017 42

5. Assess the current use of media to update existing studies, especially to understand the prevalence and accessibility of mobile Internet services among youth. This can occur as part of the upcoming youth assessment to better understand how technology can be leveraged to reach youth in programming, and whether those efforts would be successful in reaching target audiences.

6. Assess drug and alcohol abuse among youth to update existing studies, especially to understand the link between drug/alcohol abuse and criminality. This assessment should use research methods that are appropriate for sensitive topics, such as randomized response technique, to increase the validity of the results. If USAID plans to administer a survey among youth in the near future, this presents a good opportunity to incorporate some questions about drug and alcohol use, as it can then be one of many topics explored, rather than a dedicated study on drug/alcohol use alone (which youth would likely be reluctant to participate in).

9. Interview donors working in Liberia to understand their plans or strategies related to youth engagement and programming. Priority donors include UNDP, UNICEF, WB, AfDB, and DFID.

10. Expand ABE programs (in partnership with the Ministry of Education) and accompanying VSLAs, especially in rural areas. These programs can also be accompanied by agricultural skill-building so that youth are more equipped to take on agricultural roles and see it as a viable path to income generation.

12. In addition to employable skill building, ABE and TVET programs should incorporate education on sexual and reproductive health. Currently, SRH information is primarily delivered through the formal education system, leaving the majority of youth without reliable SRH knowledge.

13. Continue to address quality of education in the formal education system. Several studies found that even with a primary (and even secondary) education, many youth still lack basic literacy, numeracy, writing, and computer skills to be marketable to employers.

14. Use qualitative monitoring techniques (such as Most Significant Change and Outcome Mapping) to capture unintended outcomes of programming on the youth population. These techniques should be integrated into Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning plans and systematically captured.

ANNEX I – STATEMENT OF WORK Overview Liberia Strategic Analysis (LSA) will conduct a desk review of documents pertaining to Youth and Workforce Development in Liberia. The desk review will collect, organize, review, and synthesize the available information on the youth demographic, youth employability and workforce development Programs to assist the USAID Youth Cross-sector Working Group in preparing for the Youth Assessment, which will feed into the design of a new youth activity.

The desk review will be based primarily on the resources available on USAID/Liberia’s Knowledge Management (KM) Portal (http://usaidliberiakmportal.com/). In addition, LSA will work with the Youth Cross-sector Working Group to gather additional documents, reports and data sets on Youth and Workforce Development, for example: • Mercy Corp’s Liberia Youth Mapping and Profiling Study • Government of Liberia youth-related policy documents, including the Education and Youth Information Management Systems • USAID Youth & Fragility Assessment • World Bank’s Liberia Youth Opportunities Project documents • FHI 360’s Workforce Connections Toolkit • Kenya Youth Assessment

Objective The objective of the desk review is to identify existing youth assessments and other studies pertaining to youth in Liberia so that the subsequent youth assessment is more tailored and fully informs USAID’s decision-making without duplicating existing research. The desk review will identify information gaps relevant to the design of the youth activity, which will then form the basis of the youth assessment. The desk review will result in initial findings, conclusions, information gaps, recommendations for the Youth Assessment and where possible, infographics and maps. It will also produce a detailed and annotated reference list of all resources reviewed, organized by relevant subject areas.

The desk review intends to address the following research questions: 1. What relevant existing assessments, reports and data exist on youth and workforce development in Liberia since 2014 (post-EVD Outbreak)? a. What do these studies tell us about who the youth are and where they are located? b. What opportunities are available and needed for out of school youth in the 15-35 age range? c. Is there any information available on labor market opportunities available to youth? 2. What information exists on the following topics? a. Literacy and numeracy skills b. Capacity and impact of civil society organizations focused on youth, particularly local youth groups c. Crime, drug use and prostitution

d. HIV/AIDS and at-risk youth e. Accreditation, vocational training and training institutions f. Private sector employment and economic trends g. Village Savings and Loan Associations and access to credit h. Access to technology i. What media is most effective in reaching youth j. Mirco-finance opportunities k. challenges and opportunities for civic engagement 3. What, if any, gaps exist in the information available about youth and workforce development in Liberia that should be addressed by the Youth Cross-sector Working Group when designing the youth assessment? 4. A mapping of existing and planned USAID activities by sector: a. What activities could be adapted or applied to benefit youth or sub-populations of youth? b. How have our activities benefitted youth or could they be adapted to do so? c. Have there been any unintended benefits to youth or sub-populations of youth?

Youth Assessment There are some overarching questions that have been identified for the youth assessment that this desk review will begin to answer, for example: • How can we map actors, programs and services available to youth to avoid duplication of effort and increase USAID’s impact? • What are the gender dynamics in the youth population and how do we design an activity that captures these dynamics? o How do gender differences impact access and impact of youth programming? Necessary Level of USAID Support The Youth Cross-sector Working Group will gather relevant documents in a Google Drive folder and share access with LSA’s Gmail account: [email protected]. LSA will upload publicly available documents to the KM Portal.

Deliverables

No. Deliverable Description Proposed Completion Date

1 Complete Desk Review, including: June 5th, 2017 • Initial findings • Conclusions • Information gaps • Recommendations for the Youth Assessment • Infographics and maps, where applicable

Level of Effort

A consultant internal or external to Social Impact will be contracted to perform the desk review. LSA staff will assist the consultant in gathering documents and identifying and preparing possible infographics and/or maps.

No. Activity LOE • Review of the estimated 80 documents on the 20 days LOE KM Portal 1 • Review of the estimated 20 documents provided by the Youth Cross-sector Working Group

• Synthesize purpose, findings and 5 days LOE recommendations 2 • Prepare reference list • Where applicable, prepare infographics and/or maps

ANNEX II – ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/05/

USAID Resources 1. “Advancing Youth Project. Labor Market – Liberia.” Education Development Center, 2012. http://idd.edc.org/resources/publications/advancing-youth-project-labor-market-assessment The 2013 labor market assessment was a key activity of the USAID Advancing Youth project. This youth-led study identifies the opportunities and constraints for employment and self-employment for Liberian youth through qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The assessment highlighted the need to overcome perceptions related to youth employment (both youth-held perceptions of viable sectors as well as employer-held perceptions of youth, especially young women).

2. Cardno Emerging Markets USA, Ltd. . First Annual Work Plan: Feeder Roads Alternative and Maintenance Program (FRAMP), 4 March 2016 to 30 September 2016.Report. USAID/Liberia. June 23, 2016. Accessed July 3, 2017. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pa00mmxz.pdf. This workplan explains the activities Cardno plans to understake for the FRAMP project. Cardno aims to document how the work on the road network has positively impacted youth in the targeted communities. 3. Checchi and Company Consulting, Inc. Legal Professional Development and Anti-Corruption Program in Liberia (LPAC) Year One Annual Report (July 18, 2015 - September 30, 2016). USAID/Liberia. October 15, 2016. Accessed June 20, 2017. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pa00mhcw.pdf. This annual report described LPAC’s engagement of youth over the past year. LPAC conducted training to engage local youth in the national fight against corruption.

4. Education Development Center, Inc. Advancing Youth Project Liberia Final Report . USAID/Liberia. June 15, 2017. Accessed July 3, 2017. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pa00msxb.pdf. The final report for the Advancing Youth Project details the major achievements of the project over the course of its period of performance. The report also identifies the primary partners of the project, as well as recommendations for future programming.

5. Education Development Center, Inc. Youth Participation in Village Savings and Loan Associations in an Integrated ABE Program. Report. USAID/Liberia. February 2017. Accessed June 18, 2017. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00MS1Q.pdf. The Advancing Youth project integrated VSLAs with their Alternative Basic Education programming. This study assesses how these savings and loan services affected participants' daily financial behaviors and influenced interactions with their families and communities.

6. InterMedia. Assessment of FARA 1.0 Outcomes on the Capacity of MOH and CHTs, and the Quality of Service Provision at Health Facilities in Liberia. Report. USAID/Liberia. April 25, 2017. Accessed June 26 , 2017. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pa00mpjt.pdf.

This mixed methods assessment provided the GoL, MOH, and USAID with data and analysis for understanding promising practices, gaps in service delivery, and recommendations for future investments that will lead to a stronger health sector in Liberia. The assessment explored whether health offices offered youth-friendly health services. 7. IREX. Understanding the Media and Advertising Market in Liberia. Report. USAID/Liberia. July 2011. Accessed June 20, 2017. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00M29T.pdf. The Civil Society and Media Leadership program conducted market research to identify consumer media usage preferences, advertisement awareness preferences, and issues that media face in gaining advertising revenue.

8. Kasselie, Victoria Kolie “The Advancement of Women through Formal Education for, Sustainable Economic Development in Liberia.” United States Agency for International Development. February 2017. http://usaidliberiakmportal.com/resource_library/he-advancement-of-women-through-formal- education-for-sustainable-economic-development-in-liberia/ This presentation notes the efforts made thus far in closing the education gap between men and women, and the challenges women face in gaining skilled work. The presentation offers a number of recommendations for various ministries and argues that the advancement of women through formal education is critical to Liberia’s growth.

9. “Liberia Education Sector Analysis.” United States Agency for International Development. February 2017. http://usaidliberiakmportal.com/resource_library/liberia-education-sector-analysis/ This presentation describes key findings from the Education Sector analysis, as well as the current efforts being undertaken to address quality of education and increase enrollment of Liberian children and youth. 10. Liberia Donor Influence and Collaboration Mapping This report describes the other donors working in Liberia and sectors of focus. Most donors identified youth as a cross-cutting area, but also said that more programming needs to be done for youth.

11. Momoh, Hindowa, Tegegn Nuresu Wako. “An Initial Assessment of Data and Information Sources for TVET in Liberia.” US Agency for International Development. July 2016. http://usaidliberiakmportal.com/resource_library/an-initial-assessment-of-data-and-information- sources-for-tvet-in-liberia/ This 2016 study collates and assesses the available information about TVET in Liberia through literature review and qualitative research methods. The report found that information on TVET is not readily available, or has questionable quality or reliability. There is especially little information related to non-formal or informal economy. A section of the report is dedicated to information on the demands for training from young people, and also maps out skills needs by county. However, this mapping is based largely on studies conducted from 2005-2009, so needs to be updated for the current context.

12. Nethope Broadband and Innovations Alliance. Information and Communications Technology Response to the Liberia Ebola Crisis. Report. US Global Development Lab. October 24, 2014. Accessed June 20, 2017. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pbaac363.pdf. This report explores the ways in which ICT was used in the Ebola response in terms of containment of the epidemic and mitigation of second order impacts. The report also makes a

number of recommendations for how the GoL could better leverage or improve ICT infrastructure to provide a more effective response to EVD.

13. Nyamalon, Lekpele. “Rising Together: Roadmap to Youth Empowerment In Liberia.” US Agency for International Development. February 2017. http://usaidliberiakmportal.com/resource_library/rising-together-roadmap-to-youth- empowerment-in-liberia/ This presentation by Africa’s Life discusses the challenges that youth face in contributing meaningfully to Liberia’s growth due to unmatched skills, discrimination, and other socioeconomic barriers.

14. Nyuma Jr, Saa David. “Liberia Education Sector Analysis.” United States Agency for International Development. February 2017. http://usaidliberiakmportal.com/resource_library/liberia-education-sector-analysis/ This presentation by the Ministry of Education and the World Bank assesses post-war recovery and performance in education. The study found that there are stark disparities between urban and rural populations, as well as among male and female students. Additionally, children continue to remain significantly over-age. On a positive note, though, there have been significant improvements in access to education, particularly for youth. 15. Stauffer, Beverly , Yayne Fekadu, Edward Borhol, Ikemefuna Eronini, and James Kormon. USAID/Liberia Rebuilding Basic Health Services Final Project Evaluation. Report. USAID/Liberia. March 2015. Accessed June 26, 2017. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pa00kqfs.pdf. The purpose of this endline evaluation was to review the effectiveness of the project design, progress of decentralization of health services, and strengths and weaknesses of health financing and the community health program. One of the recommendations was to train youth as volunteer nurse aides to help with patient registration and recording, alleviating the administrative burden on health professionals and encouraging better record-keeping.

16. Social Impact Liberia Strategic Analysis. Performance Evaluation of People, Rules, and Organizations Supporting the Protection of Ecosystem Resources ("PROSPER").Report. USAID/Liberia. July 27, 2016. Accessed June 20, 2017. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pa00m9m2.pdf. This evaluation explored the extent to which youth were engaged in PROSPER activities. The report found that youth were participating in community forest-related activities, and that youth may be more vulnerable to restrictions on livelihood activities, as they often farm in forests.

17. Tetra Tech. Liberia Land Governance Support Activity Quarterly Report, FY17 Q2 (January-March 2017) .Report. USAID/Liberia. April 2017. Accessed June 20, 2017. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pa00mrpq.pdf. This quarterly report showed that the LGAS activity has indicators related to youth inclusion.

18. The Mitchell Group, Inc., Frank Hawes, Ken Lizzio, and Willa Reeves. Lessons Learned Evaluation: Access to Justice and Information. Report. USAID/Liberia. June 20, 2013. Accessed June 20, 2017. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pbaaa133.pdf. This evaluation showed the benefits that youth have gained from Access to Justice trainings, in that they are able to receive fairer administration of justice from Community Justice Advisors (CJA), and village chiefs may be more likely to refer cases to CJAs.

19. Thomas, Harriette. “Role of Youth in Community Development & Political Leadership.” US Agency for International Development. February 2017. http://usaidliberiakmportal.com/resource_library/role-of-youth-in-community-development- political-leadership/ This presentation discusses the challenges that youth face in Liberia and emphasizes the importance of productive youth engagement to promoting stability and peace in the country.

20. Walker, Gary, Jance C. Millar Wood, and Eric Allemano. Liberia Youth Fragility Assessment.Report. USAID/Liberia. April 2009. Accessed June 9, 2017. http://www.youthpolicy.org/national/Liberia_2009_Youth_Fragility_Assessment.pdf. The Youth Fragility Assessment assesses the drivers of fragility in relationship to the formal and non-formal education sector realities. The report points to growing youth frustration that, despite education and training, jobs are in short supply and don't match with the skills they have gained.

21. Youth Power Action. Guiding Principles for Building Soft Skills among Adolescents and Young Adults. Report. USAID . June 2017. Accessed July 3, 2017. https://static.globalinnovationexchange.org/s3fs- public/asset/document/YouthPower%20Action_Guiding%20Principles%20for%20Building%20Soft %20Skills_Final.pdf?Euwdv5ihoI5gOqyNMkKWq_nAvUMqUJE1. This report provides guidance for soft skills development among youth and present ideas for programming toward youth engagement.

Databases/Data Reports 22. Aid Statistics by Donor, Recipient, Sector. Accessed July 3, 2017. http://www.oecd.org/statistics/datalab/oda-recipient-sector.htm. 23. BRAC. BRAC 2015 Annual Report Liberia. Report. BRAC. 2015. Accessed June 21, 2017. https://www.brac.net/images/reports/2015/Liberia-AR-2015.pdf. This report describes BRAC's activities and achievements in the areas of microfinance, agriculture, health, livestock, and adolescent empowerment in 2015.

24. Gender Data Portal. 2016. Accessed July 3, 2017. http://datatopics.worldbank.org/gender/country/liberia . The gender data portal presents data for key development indicators disaggregated by sex.

25. "Human Development Report Liberia." Human Development Report Liberia Country Indicators. Accessed May 08, 2017. 50

http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/LBR. The Human Development Report provides statistics related to human development and trends over the past 25 years. The indicators provide figures related to health, education, income, inequality, gender, poverty, communication, and other areas related to Liberia’s development progress.

26. “Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2014. Statistical Abstract.” Liberia Institute of Statistics & Geo-Information Services. March 2016. https://www.lisgis.net/others.php?&7d5f44532cbfc489b8db9e12e44eb820=NTAy The objective of the HIES is to provide household consumption data that will be used to update the market basket and weights for the Consumer Price Index (CPI), develop a national accounts benchmark, and update poverty numbers as well as provide baseline socioeconomic indicators. Unfortunately, data collection for HIES lasted only six months instead of the planned 12 due to the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), so slightly less than 50% of the target sample was enumerated; however, the data are considered to be nationally representative across 4,088 households. A repeat HIES was planned for 2016.

27. International Monetary Fund. "IMF Staff Country Reports." Liberia : Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. July 7, 2008. Accessed July 3, 2017. https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/CR/Issues/2016/12/31/Liberia-Poverty-Reduction-Strategy- Paper-22145. This paper discusses implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) in Liberia. Liberia’s PRS articulates the government’s overall vision and major strategies for moving toward rapid, inclusive, and sustainable growth and development during the period 2008–11.

28. Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services - LISGIS, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare/Liberia, National AIDS Control Program/Liberia, and ICF International. "Liberia DHS, 2013 - Final Report (English)." Liberia: DHS, 2013 - Final Report (English). 2013. Accessed June 08, 2017. http://dhsprogram.com/publications/publication-fr291-dhs-final-reports.cfm. The DHS reports on key health indicators in Liberia.

29. StatCounter Global Stats. “Social Media Stats in Liberia”. August 2017. Accessed September 1, 2017. http://gs.statcounter.com/social-media-stats/all/liberia/#quarterly-201604-201703-bar This database displays social media market share across various social media platforms, including Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram, among others.

29. "The World Factbook: LIBERIA." Central Intelligence Agency. June 21, 2017. Accessed May 08, 2017. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/li.html. The CIA World Factbook presents information on the country's demographics, political status, health status, and security status.

Agriculture

30. “A Viable Future: Attracting the Youth to Agriculture.” Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development. June 2015. http://asianfarmers.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/AFA-Issue-Paper_-for-web.pdf

This report explored the reasons why youth don’t see agriculture as a viable pathway, and presents recommendations for how governments can make agriculture a more attractive career path to replace the ageing farmer population.

31. Concept Paper for Youth in Agriculture - Ministry of Agriculture/WAAPP.Report. USAID/Liberia. This concept paper presents the challenges and opportunities for youth in agriculture and makes recommendations to increase participation in agricultural activities among young people in Liberia.

32. “Keynote Address “Developing Youth Entrepreneurs through Agriculture”. On the Ceremony Marking the Official Launching of the Youth Opportunities Project (YOP).” January 2017. This keynote address was delivered during the Ceremony marking the official launch of the Youth Opportunities Project on January 9th, 2017. The YOP project aims at improving income generation opportunities for vulnerable youth, and to strengthen the GOL’s capacity and systems to implement the social cash transfer program in Liberia. The keynote address emphasizes the importance of attracting youth to agriculture and introduces programming efforts that the Ministries of Agriculture and Youth and Sports will make through the YOP project.

33. “Promoting Agricultural Entrepreneurship among Rural Youth.” International Youth Foundation. December 2014. This best practice note describes a case study that resulted in creation of 200 jobs among youth in agriculture and offers recommendations for programming so that youth can be successfully engaged in agricultural activities.

34. “Ministry of Agriculture Concept Paper for Youth in Agriculture.” The concept paper presents an overview of the challenges and opportunities for youth in agriculture and makes recommendations to increase youth participation in agricultural activities. In particular, it notes that that youth involvement in agricultural activities is critical for future food security and presents ample employment opportunity for the largely unemployed youth population. Recommendations center around making agriculture an attractive field for youth and equipping youth for modern agricultural needs.

Civil Society/Civic Engagement

35. CSSP. Engaging Youth in Community Decision Making. Report. Center for the Study of Social Policy. 2007. Accessed July 3, 2017. https://www.cssp.org/community/constituents-co-invested-in-change/other-resources/engaging- youth-in-community-decision-making.pdf. This toolkit details strategies for engaging youth in communities and how to ensure that their voices are given full weight in decision making.

36. Federation of Liberian Youth. http://www.flylr.org/index.php/template-explore/our-profile This website describes the mission and objectives of the Federation of Liberian Youth. Many of the sub-sites are not currently active, but the website does provide links to meeting notes and statements made to the GoL regarding youth interests.

37. "Liberia." International Youth Foundation. Accessed June 09, 2017.

http://www.iyfnet.org/country/liberia. This site describes IYF's activities in Liberia focused on youth employment and strengthening CSOs and universities to prepare youth for future employment.

38. McKeown, Mary and Edward Mulbah. “Civil Society in Liberia: Towards a Strategic Framework for Support. An Overview of Civil Society in Liberia for Search for Common Ground.” https://www.sfcg.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/LBR_EV_Apr07_Civil-Society-in-Liberia- Towards-a-Strategic-Framework-for-Support.pdf This report explains the role of CSOs in representing diverse interests, especially of marginalized and vulnerable groups, in Liberia. It found that though the national youth policy states that youth should be included in the policy making process, there is little evidence that this is actually happening. It also provides some detail on the role of the Federation of Liberian Youth in representing youth interests.

39. NDI. Statement of the NDI Pre-Election Assessment Mission to Liberia's 2017 Presidential and Legislative Elections. Report. National Democratic Institute. 2017. Accessed June 9, 2017. https://www.ndi.org/sites/default/files/NDI%20Liberia%20PEAM%20Statement%2002%2024%201 7%20FINAL_0.pdf. This report summarizes findings from NDI's mission to assess preparations for Liberia's October 2017 elections, including the voter registration process. The team found that some youth were at risk of disenfranchisement, especially if they turn 18 between the time of registration and the time of voting.

40. Search for Common Ground in Liberia, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, and West Africa Civil Society Institute. Civil Society Rapid Assessment: Liberia. Report. Search for Common Ground - Liberia. 2014. Accessed June 9, 2017. https://www.wacsi.org/attachment/391/Liberia CSI-RA report.pdf?g_download=1. This rapid assessment of CSO activity in Liberia showed that many CSOs cover youth-related issues. Additionally, it explored the capacity constraints that CSOs face in rural and urban areas.

41. Republic of Liberia. National Elections Commission. Statement on the Release of Provisional Information on the 2017 Voter Registration Exercise. By Jerome G. Korkoya. March 23, 2017. Accessed June 9, 2017. http://www.necliberia.org/pg_img/VR%20PRESS%20STATEMENT.pdf. http://www.necliberia.org/pg_img/VR%20PRESS%20STATEMENT.pdf This statement reported the voter registration figures for the 2017 Liberian National elections for 11 of Liberia’s 15 counties.

Crime

42. Cohen, Dara Kay, and Amelia Hoover Green. "Were 75 percent of Liberian women and girls raped? No. So why is the U.N. repeating that misleading ‘statistic'?" The Washington Post. October 26, 2016. Accessed July 3, 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/10/26/were-75-percent-of- liberian-women-and-girls-raped-no-so-why-is-the-un-repeating-that-misleading- statistic/?utm_term=.1f95ad0fc0c2.

The article notes that the commonly used statistics for rape in Liberia during the Civil War are problematic in that they are based on a sample of victims of sexual violence, not the population at large.

43. Drake, Matthew. "Child prostitutes sleep amongst the DEAD to stay safe from evil." Mirror. July 09, 2016. Accessed June 22, 2017. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tragedy-child-prostitutes-who-slee-8384969. This article revealed the plight of child prostitutes in Monrovia and explains the reasons why children subject themselves to prostitution.

44. OSAC. Liberia 2016 Crime and Safety Report. Report. Bureau of Diplomatic Security, US Department of State. May 25, 2016. Accessed May 15 , 2017. https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=19759 `. The Crime and Safety report describes the exposure US travellers may face to security incidents and threats overseas. The report covers crime, cybersecurity, transportation safety, terrorism, and health safety.

45. "Rape "second most reported" serious crime in Liberia: UN." Rape "second most reported" serious crime in Liberia: UN | United Nations Radio. October 14, 2016. Accessed June 08, 2017. http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/2016/10/rape-second-most-reported-serious-crime- in-liberia-un/#.WWDChIjys2w This article summarizes UN findings related to rape in Liberia.

46. "Tackling Liberia's high rape rate." IRIN. December 01, 2015. Accessed June 18, 2017. http://www.irinnews.org/report/100364/tackling-liberia%E2%80%99s-high-rape-rate This article summarizes an ODI report that found a very high prevalence of rape in Liberia. The report explores the reasons why rape is so heavily ingrained in Liberian culture and urges more programming to help former combatants reintegrate into society.

47. UNMIL, and OHCHR. Addressing Impunity for Rape in Liberia. Report. United Nations Mission in Liberia. October 2016. Accessed June 8, 2017. https://unmil.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/impunity_report_-_binding.pdf This report describes the legal foundation for addressing rape in Liberia, the gaps therein, and the barriers to reporting rape in Liberia.

48. UNODC. World Drug Report 2017. Report. Office on Drugs and Crime, United Nations. 2017. Accessed September 1, 2017. https://www.unodc.org/wdr2017/index.html. The World Drug Report presents a global overview of drug use, trade, and trends each year. Though it does not discuss Liberia specifically, it does present estimates for West and Central Africa.

49. US Department of State. International Narcotics Control Strategy Report. Report. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. 2014. Accessed September 1, 2017. https://www.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/2014/vol1/222922.htm This report describes the latest trends in drug control for Liberia, as well as data regarding use of drugs and the efforts being made to reduce drug use.

Employability/Labor Market

49. Arcelor Mittal. “Sustainability Report 2015.” Arcelor Mittal. 2015. Accessed September 1, 2017. http://corporate.arcelormittal.com/~/media/Files/A/ArcelorMittal/sdr2016/liberia-sustainability- report-2015.PDF This report described Arcelor Mittal’s activities in building Liberia’s communities and workforce, particularly after the EVD outbreak.

50. Chevron. “Chevron in the Community.” Chevron Liberia. 2017. Accessed September 1, 2017. https://www.chevron.com/worldwide/liberia This website described Chevron’s activities related to corporate social responsibility in Liberia.

49. Coleman-Beyan, Patience. “Tackling youth employability complexities: A critical pathway to fulfilling employment in Liberia?” Civil Service Agency. February 2017. http://usaidliberiakmportal.com/resource_library/tackling-youth-employability-complexities-a- critical-pathway-to-fulfilling-employment-in-liberia/ This presentation argues that the effective promotion of youth employment should consider a multidimensional approach that takes into account both the supply and demand side of employability.

50. “Dreams Deferred: Educational and Skills-building Needs and Opportunities for Youth in Liberia.” Women’s Refugee Commission. September 2009. https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/youth/resources/275-dreams-deferred-educational- and-skills-building-needs-and-opportunities-for-youth-in-liberia This report explored the skill-building needs and opportunities of youth. Additionally, WRC identified a number of sectors with potential high labor demand for young people, and recommends that training programs be accompanied by literacy/numeracy enhancement and life skills training.

51. Enria, L. Real Jobs in Fragile Contexts: Reframing Youth Employment Programming in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Report. University of Bath. July 2014. Accessed May 15, 2017. http://opus.bath.ac.uk/52682/1/Institutions_WestAfricaYouthEmployment_EN_2014.pdf. This report argues that the discussion around youth employment has become entangled with broader issues of youth discontent and instability, contributing to the negative perceptions of youth.

52. “Liberia Child Labor Report – summarized findings.” United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs. https://www.dol.gov/ilab/reports/child-labor/findings/2013TDA/liberia.pdf This report offers statistics around prevalence and distribution of child labor in Liberia, as well as information on the legal framework for combatting child labor in the country.

54. Liberia Maritime Authority. “Community Programs.” Liberia Maritime Authority. 2017. Accessed September 1, 2017. http://maritimeliberia.com/?csr/community.html This website described the Maritime Authorities employment scheme for Liberian beach dwellers.

52. “Liberia youth services mapping and profiling study (LYSMPS).” LYSMPS Steering Committee, Ministry 55

of Youth and Sports, Mercy Corps Liberia, United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). August 2016. https://socialimpact.sharepoint.com/sites/ops/l034/Evaluations%20Personnel/CDCS%20Desk%20 Reviews/Youth/LYSMPS%20FINAL%20Report%20without%20Tables.pdf#search=youth%20servi ces%20mapping This 2016 study consisted of a desk review, household survey of over a thousand youth, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions across Liberia’s 15 counties. The purpose of this study was to determine what services are available and their effectiveness, as well as to understand what characteristics make youth vulnerable. Though the survey results cover all counties, the sample size per county is small and county-level results are likely to be biased in terms of rural/urban perspective.

53. Lindberg, Emy. “Youth and the Labor Market in Liberia – on history, state structures and spheres of informalities.” Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Uppsala. 2014. http://usaidliberiakmportal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Youth-Labour-Market-in-Liberia- On-history-state-structures-spheres-of-informalities-Emy-Lindberg-the-Nordic-Africa-Institute- 2014.pdf This paper provided a historical perspective to the labor market in Liberia, dating back to independence. In addition to discussing the impact of the civil wars on the youth labor market today, the paper also explored youth preferences around employment (full, formal employment vs. informal employment) and the power structures that persist in the labor market.

54. “President’s Young Professionals Program of Liberia. Evaluation Report.” Princeton University. July 2016. https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=http://usaidliberiakmportal.com/wp- content/uploads/2016/10/Presidents-Young-Professionals-Program-of-Liberia-Evaluation-Report- Innovations-for-Successful-Societies-Open-Society-Foundations-07-2016.pdf&hl=en_US This report detailed a 2016 evaluation conducted of the PYPP program, which recruited talented university graduates into civil service jobs. The evaluation found that the PYPP program had been successful in recruiting individuals that had made tangible contributions to the ministries that they served in, and had encouraged them to consider public service when they otherwise would not have. The study used regression analysis to identify critical success factors for PYPP that the program could consider for future classes. The study revealed that many PYPP participants needed further training in computer and writing skills, and provided recommendations to promote the sustainability and strength of the program and application process.

55. “Report on Child Labor in Liberia 2010.” International Labor Organization and Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS). May 2012. https://www.dol.gov/ilab/reports/pdf/Liberia_CLS%20Report_%20Final_for_Print_20120731.pdf

56. “Report on the Liberia Labor Force Survey 2010.” Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS). February 2011. http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/- stat/documents/presentation/wcms_156366.pdf The Liberia Labor Force Survey is currently the most up-to-date, reliable, and nationally representative assessment of employment statistics in Liberia. It explores literacy rates, type of employment, and disaggregates by sex, age, and urban/rural.

57. Specht, Irma. “Labor Market and Training Needs Assessment: Mapping of Reintegration Opportunities for Children Associated with Fighting Forces A Report Covering Liberia.” International Labor Office (ILO), Geneva International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC) United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Liberia. March 2005. This assessment makes some suggestions about skills in demand by the various sectors of the economy that could engineer sustainable growth and development. The study covered Montserrado, Bomi, Grand Bassa, Lofa, Bong, Margibi and Cape Mount counties. It gives information on skills training institutions, courses offered and their duration, availability of skills and skills needed in various sectors, assessments of skills, a listing of major service providers and the skills they require.

58. Westlund, Lena, Katrient Holvoet, Helga Josupeit and Emmanuel Kaunda. “Pan African Fisheries and Aquaculture policy framework and reform strategy: gender and youth in fisheries and aquaculture.” Policy brief #11. Food and Agriculture Organization. February 2014. This report explored the types of employment youth and women undertake in fisheries and aquaculture, as well as the barriers they face in gaining employment in the sector.

61. Wilmoth, David. “Empowering Liberian Youth through Technical and Vocational Education and Training: International Case Studies for Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum Monrovia.” International Finance Corporation. July 2012. Accessed September 1, 2017. http://www.wilmoth.com.au/publications/2012LiberiaReport.pdf This report examines a number of case studies about TVET institutions globally, and provides recommendations for developing Liberia’s TVET system.

Gender

59. John, Monique, Laura Golakeh, and Hajer Naili. "In Liberia, Girls and Women Face a Future Without U.N. Peacekeepers." Women's eNews. August 26, 2016. Accessed July 3, 2017. http://womensenews.org/2016/09/in-liberia-girls-and-women-face-a-future-without-u-n- peacekeepers/. This article explains the risks that girls and women in Liberia face as UN peacekeepers begin to exit the country. The author notes particularly the safety risk that girls face when traveling to school. 60. Korkoyah, Dala T., Jr., and Francis F. Wreh. "Ebola Impact Revealed: An Assessment of the Differing Impact of the Outbreak on Women and Men in Liberia." July 2015. Accessed July 3, 2017. https://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/file_attachments/rr-ebola-impact-women-men- liberia-010715-en.pdf. This report explores the differential impacts of the EVD outbreak on men and women. The assessment found that women are disproportionately affected by the EVD outbreak, both in terms of susceptibility of infection and loss of economic livelihood after the EVD outbreak concluded, due to the nature of their previous work.

61. Kotilainen, L. (2015) ‘Study on the Gender Impacts of Ebola in Liberia’. Retrieved from http://www .medbox.org/faith-based-organizations/studyon-the-gendered- impacts-of-ebola-in-liberiafebruary-2015/toolboxes/preview?

This report found that the EVD outbreak reinforced existing gender norms, and that vulnerabilities inherent from pre-existing gender roles meant that women were at greater risk of impact from EVD (both in terms of susceptibility of infection and negative after-effects of the outbreak).

62. Republic of Liberia. Ministry of Gender and Development. The National Gender Policy - Abridged Version. By Ministry of Gender and Development. 2009. Accessed July 3 , 2017. http://www.africanchildforum.org/clr/policy%20per%20country/liberia/liberia_gender_2009_en. pdf The National Gender policy outlines the Government of Liberia's commitments to decrease gender disparities and work towards gender equality.

63. "Signaling a boost for gender equality, Liberia passes the 'Affirmative Action Bill'." UN Women. October 3, 2016. Accessed June 09, 2017. http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2016/10/liberia-passes-the-affirmative-action-bill. This article announces the passage of an act to set aside seven seats in the Liberian Congress for historically disadvantaged groups. Five of these seats would be for women, one for youth, and one for the disabled.

64. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (2015) ‘UNDP Africa Policy Note: Confronting the Gender Impact of Ebola Virus Disease in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone’. Vol. 2 No. 1, 30 January 2015. Retrieved from http://www.undp.org/con tent/dam/undp/library/crisis%20prevention/ 44 43 References RBA%20Policy%20Note%20Vol%202%20No%20 1%202015_Gender.pdf This policy note analyzed the effects of EVD on women, and found that EVD had increased women’s vulnerability to loss of livelihoods and incomes, and that safe childbirth is now under greater threat due to reduced availability of maternal and child health services.

Health

65. Bee-Neeplo, Ernree. “Promoting Integrated SRH/HIV Services for Girls at Risk and Persons with Disabilities.” Planned Parenthood Association of Liberia. http://usaidliberiakmportal.com/resource_library/promoting-integrated-srhhiv-services-for-girls- at-risk-and-persons-with-disabilities/ This presentation described the current state of SRH/HIV services for girls and recommendations for the way forward in getting essential SRH information to Liberia’s youth.

66. IRIN . "Ebola hampers HIV/AIDS care in Liberia." IRIN News, November 21, 2014. Accessed June 27, 2017. http://www.irinnews.org/news/2014/11/21/ebola-hampers-hivaids-care-liberia. This article explains the negative effect of Ebola on other health services, particularly HIV/AIDS treatment.

67. Lane, Cate. “Integrating Youth into Health Programs: Considerations for Implementing the Youth in Development Policy in Global Health Activities.” US Agency for International Development, September, 2013.

https://www.iywg.org/sites/iywg/files/integrating_youth_into_health_programs_considerations_f or_implementing_the_youth_in_development_policy.pdf This guidance document describes the Youth in Development policy and its application to health programming.

68. Langlay, Norwood. The Impact of Ebola Virus Disease on Village Savings and Loans Associations Montserrado, Margibi, Bong, and Lofa Counties.Report. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. December 19, 2014. Accessed June 18, 2017. http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/emergencies/docs/VSLA%20Rapid%20Assessment_D ecember%2019%202014.pdf . This study aimed to understand the effects of EVD on the income generating capacities of VSLA members throughout Liberia (mostly women) It found that VSLAs reported a high level of absenteeism and left loan portfolios at high risk.

69. MacDougall, Clair. "When Child Soldiers Grow Up." Newsweek. February 12, 2016. Accessed July 10, 2017. http://www.newsweek.com/2013/07/31/when-liberian-child-soldiers-grow-237780.html. This article provides insight to the reasons why child combatants (particularly female combatants) entered the conflict, and what their lives look like ten years after the end of the civil war.

70. McCarraher, Donna R., Mario Chen, Sam Wambugu, Steve Sortijas, Stacey Succop, Bolatito Aiyengba, Chinelo C. Okigbo, and Allison Pack. "Informing HIV prevention efforts targeting Liberian youth: a study using the PLACE method in Liberia." Reproductive Health. 2013. Accessed June 08, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3853775/. Using the PLACE method, the researched gathered information on risky behaviors among youth that increase their vulnerability for HIV infection. These behaviors include transactional sex and multiple partners.

71. Republic of Liberia. National AIDS Commission. National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan 2015-2020. By United Nations in Liberia, USAID, and The Global Fund. July 2014. Accessed May 20 , 2017. http://www.nacliberia.org/doc/Liberia%20NSP%202015- 2020%20Final%20_Authorized_%20OK.pdf . The strategy describes achievements to date, challenges faced, and major planned activities across various areas of HIV/AIDS prevention, management, and treatment. Youth are considered to be a key population for HIV/AIDS interventions.

72. UNAIDS. Prevention Gap Report. Report. UNAIDS. 2016. Accessed June 27, 2017. http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/media_asset/2016-prevention-gap-report_en.pdf . The Prevention Gap report describes new developments in HIV/AIDS prevention strategies, existing gaps, and regional needs.

73. "Women in Liberia and Ebola." Global Fund for Women. October 19, 2015. Accessed July 3, 2017. https://www.globalfundforwomen.org/liberia-ebola-crisis/#.WWPcx4jyvb1. This site explains the disproportionate effect of the Ebola crisis on women, and the steps that the Global Fund for Women is taking in response.

74. Young, Finlay. "Lost boys: What became of Liberia's child soldiers?" The Independent. April 13, 2012. Accessed July 3, 2017.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/lost-boys-what-became-of-liberias-child- soldiers-7637101.html. This article presents findings from interviews with former child combatants in Monrovia, revealing the stigma they face and difficulty securing employment.

ICT/Media 75. Best, Michael L., Edem Wornyo, Thomas N. Smyth, and John Etherton. Use of Mobile Phones in Post- Conflict Liberia. Report. School of Interactive Computing, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology. Accessed June 9, 2017. http://mikeb.inta.gatech.edu/uploads/papers/qsort.Liberia.pdf. This report explored the ways in which Liberians in urban and rural areas used mobile phones, and their reasons for owning or using a mobile phone. The report found some distinctions between urban and rural users, but most users had mobile phones for exclusively practical purposes. Entertainment use of mobile phones was relatively infrequent.

76. InfoDev. Cables, Commissions, and Cybercafes: ICTs in Post-Conflict Liberia.Report. The World Bank. March 2013. Accessed June 20, 2017. https://www.infodev.org/infodev-files/resource/InfodevDocuments_1206.pdf. This report explores how well the government of Liberia is achieving its ICT policy goals; cybercafes in Liberia, and the design and use of Liberia's truth commission website.

77. "Liberia: Cellcom Partners With Facebook to Connect Liberia." AllAfrica.com. October 23, 2015. Accessed July 09, 2017. http://allafrica.com/stories/201510230890.html. This article describe's Facebook's efforts to provide 'Free Basics', which bring free emergency internet access to key websites without data use.

78. "Liberia: Radio Station Maps." Liberia: Radio Station Maps | Internews. May 10, 2016. Accessed July 09, 2017. http://internews.org/updates/liberia-radio-station-maps. This site contains a list of 100 radio stations in Liberia, with a coverage map and data for the number of staff, programming content, condition of transmitter, and audience size.

79. "Modernizing Civic and Voter Education in Liberia." International Foundation for Electoral Systems. March 7, 2017. Accessed June 20, 2017. http://www.ifes.org/news/modernizing-civic-and-education-liberia. This article describes the use of media, particularly radio, for voter education efforts among Liberian youth.

80. World Bank/ITU. The Little Data Book on Information and Communication Technology. Washington, D.C.: World Bank, 2010. The Little Data Book series presents at-a-glance tables for more than 200 economies showing the most recent national data on key indicators of information and communications technology (ICT), including access, quality, affordability, efficiency, sustainability and applications.

Microfinance and VSLAs

81. Karmaker, Tapan Kumar, James Ward Khakshi. Presentation on Microfinance for the Poor. United States Agency for International Development. February 2017. http://usaidliberiakmportal.com/resource_library/presentation-on-microfinance-for-the-poor/ This presentation delivered by BRAC identifies issues and challenges for the growth of Microfinance in Liberia, and presents recommendations for how to expand microfinance.

Risky Behaviors 82. Harris BL, Levey EJ, Borba CPC, Gray DA, Carney JR, et al. Substance use behaviors of secondary school students in post-conflict Liberia: a pilot study. Inter J Culture and Mental Health. Published online July 29, 2011. Accessed 26 June, 2017. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17542863.2011.583737 This study observed the prevalence of substance abuse use among Liberian secondary school students. The report found that alcohol is the most commonly used substance, and explained possible reasons why substance abuse rates are high among Liberian youth.

83. Pullen, Samuel J., Liana Petruzzi, Brittany CL Lange, Lindsey Parnarouskis, Silvia Dominguez, Benjamin Harris, Nicole Quiterio, Michelle P. Durham, Gondah Lekpeh, Burgess Manobah, Siede P. Slopadoe, Veronique C. Diandy, Arthur J. Payne, David C. Henderson, and Christina PC Borba. "A Qualitative Analysis of Substance Use among Liberian Youth: Understanding Behaviors, Consequences, and Protective Factors Involving School Youth and the School Milieu." International journal of mental health & psychiatry. February 2016. Accessed June 26, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4857765/. This article summarizes findings from focus group discussions among Liberian youth about substance abuse. Substances are often used as a coping mechanism for trauma or depression.